


It's all fun and games till someone VENTS!

by CrinklyTinfoil



Series: The Best Laid Plans of Crewmates and Imposters [1]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Fisting, Anal Sex, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Claustrophobia, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, M/M, Oral Sex, Other, Painful Sex, Porn With Plot, Rough Sex, Sadism, Smut, Tentacle Rape, Tentacle Sex, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 91,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27324736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrinklyTinfoil/pseuds/CrinklyTinfoil
Summary: There are some Imposters loose on the Skeld and there out for more than just blood. How screwed up can one fic get? How dark am I willing to go? You'll just have to read to find out.Chapter 13 is just showing off some lovely fanart
Relationships: Crewmate/Crewmate (Among Us), Crewmate/Impostor (Among Us)
Series: The Best Laid Plans of Crewmates and Imposters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2112498
Comments: 271
Kudos: 412





	1. Where everything goes wrong

**Author's Note:**

> First, you read dead dove do not eat and you better believe I didn't use that lightly. It's going to be a real gore fest so strap on in boys, girls and everyone in-between. Now, I know what you clicked in here for but I gotta develop characters and setting so JUST HOLD UP FOR TEN SECONDS! It wouldn't be a good murder 'mystery' if I didn't

“Cyan is sus!”

He couldn’t understand what was being said. Head pounding, heart thudding against his ribs, the man in the brightly colored spacesuit leaned hard against the table, feeling his chest expand and contract as he fought down bile.

The sound of the alarm still rung in his ears as his com crackled with the voices of those around him. The built-in speaker made his head ache as the voices surrounded him, shouting and yelling. Despite at least some of it being aimed at him, he couldn’t make out the details.

They were at the emergency table and everything was wrong. Everyone was shouting and no one was paying attention to their surroundings. It was Orange who was accusing him — at least, he thought it was him. The voice sounded like him, but Cyan’s mind was no longer with him. It had fled the Skeld, fled out into the empty space of his mind, and he was drifting.

His spacesuit was cramped, claustrophobic. Though it was lighter than an EVA suit but it still weighted down on him, suffocating him. He thought he’d gotten used to the feeling, but now as the weight of accusations pushed down on either side of him, it felt as though the small space was filling up with his sweat, threatening to drown him.

“He was supposed to be with the Captain, and now Dark Green is dead! There is no excuse!” Red was speaking now, wildly pointing as he slammed one hand on the table. The blow shook the plastic object, causing Cyan to pull his arms off of it. “HE’S GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!”

It was kangaroo court, but Cyan’s throat was dry as he stared about at his crewmates. He had nothing he could say, nothing he could do. He was in shock. In shock at the scene that his eyes had just been forced to witness.

The blood stains that had smeared across the inside of the reactor, coloring it a deep burgundy, were enough to make him lose his voice. The viscera that had been plastered all across the floor, bloody smears of flesh left behind from the slaughter. It was all too much, even now. In his year of working on board the Skeld, he’d seen a lot. But seeing his commanding officer in such a… condition. How had all of this happened so quickly? It had just been a week ago that everything had been fine.

_Polus_ , Cyan thought. This had all started because of their visit to Polus.

They’d been together for about a year and in that year, Cyan had felt that he’d come to know the crew about as well as he could. At least, with the restrictions that Mira HQ put on all of them.

He’d thought it was weird that each of them had been assigned colors when they first started. Company policy, he’d been told in orientation. You were to know your crewmates by their colors and not their names. It was shitty, but the company they worked for insisted that it was for the best.

According to them, it was simpler to refer to your crewmates by their assigned color. Secondly, it helped you not get attached. You didn’t want to get attached, he’d been told, because otherwise your might find yourself in a situation where you were unwilling to do what was necessary for the good of the crew. For the good of the company.

He’d found it funny how they’d phrased it. A ‘situation’, as though they didn’t all know exactly what they were talking about. Imposter attacks were uncommon, or so he’d been told. Mira had a plethora of ships at their disposal. After all, they were a multi billon dollar company and their fleet was massive. Out of every thirty ships, there would be an Imposter, or so said the chart that had been shown to him and the new recruits when they’d first arrived.

No one fully knew what Imposters were. They were alien life forms, one of the few that had ever been encountered while mankind had traversed space. They were crafty, intelligent, and for some reason seemed to constantly be at war with Mira.

The earliest attacks started back about fifty years ago, though rumors that Cyan had heard said they’d started far sooner. Research bases and ships were secretly infiltrated, the crew onboard them slaughtered. Aliens who could take the form of humans roaming about, killing without remorse as they cut down those who had called them friends.

Cyan would be the first to admit that he hadn’t paid the best attention to this section of his orientation. It had freaked him out, and besides, he thought it wouldn’t be relevant. The Skeld was a pretty small ship, and all they really did was pickup and drop off. There was no reason for them to be attacked. Hell, they didn’t even have any scientists on board.

For almost a year, they went back and forth, dropping things off and picking things up. Then, an unusual set of orders came through. They needed to go and pick up something from Polus, a base that floated way way out away from any established civilization among the stars. The journey there had taken almost a month, far from their normal two-week jobs that they normally did. They really weren’t the best ship for it, but the company had insisted they went. And so they did.

Cyan could still remember the feeling of the ship touching down — how the engines had swayed under them. If he closed his eyes now, he was back there, sitting at one of the cafeteria tables as the ship rocked and swayed as the Captain navigated it carefully down to the ground. His hands drummed anxiously on the table, twitching slightly as he felt himself anticipating the landing. He was eager to get out of the ship and stretch his legs, his mind quite tired of the never ending blue grey halls that lined the ship.

“Would you stop twitching?”

Cyan turned his head, glancing towards his deep-voiced companion. Purple was sitting beside him, still as a statue with his arms folded across his chest.  
“Sorry,” Cyan apologized as he put his hands into his lap. “Just… eager to get out there, you know.”

Purple shrugged his shoulders, and though Cyan couldn’t see through his tinted helmet, he got the feeling that his buddy was being overly grouchy again. Purple liked his breaks. Back when they were doing their short-term missions, he’d disappear on his days off to ‘be away from the crowd’.

Over the last week, he seemed to have become exceptionally grumpy, something Cyan chalked up to the general energy of the ship. They more excited everyone else was, the more irritable his friend became.  
“Come on, you know you want off the ship as much as I do,” Cyan persisted and Purple gave a sigh and waved an annoyed hand. “Fine, maybe I do. However, it’s not like it’s empty down there and I’m not eager to make anymore ‘friends’.”

“What do you think it’s like working down there?” Cyan mused, ignoring Purple’s tone. “What do they do?”

He turned, looking towards Purple who sat beside him at the table. Purple was quiet for a second and Cyan wondered if he finally had managed to break the man. However, Purple seemed to relent slightly and with a slight sigh turned towards him, the lights glinting off the purple of his suit. “Excavation, I think,” he said, a hint of a smile somewhere in his voice. “And personally, I think it would be a pain. It takes a lot of upkeep to keep a research base like Polus running.”

“It takes a lot of effort to keep a ship like the Skeld running,” Cyan had countered as he felt the metal exterior rumble about him. Purple gave a shrug. “True, but it’s not nearly as big as Polus. From what I’ve heard, that place is massive.”

Cyan bobbed his head, eagerly staring about the cafeteria. His heart was all aflutter to get outside as he shifted next to Purple. A low growl emitted out of Purple’s stomach, causing Cyan to look over at his crewmate and friend. “Purple, did you not eat this morning?”

Purple grumbled something under his breath, before letting out a reluctant sigh. “No… no, I did not. I’m getting sick of the mush they serve on board here. I haven’t had a proper meal since we left port.”  
Cyan reached out and clapped Purple’s shoulder in a sympathetic manner. He knew that Purple wasn’t keen on the food being served on board the ship. In fact, the first conversation he’d ever had with his buddy was about the quality of their respective dinners.

“Purp, you aren’t bitching about the food again, are you?”

Purple tensed slightly, looking pointedly away as Cyan turned to see Lime standing behind them. He stood slightly taller than most on the ship, skinny as a pole despite the suit he wore. Cyan had seen his face more than he had the rest of the crew, mostly because Lime had always had a certain distain for rules.

He was the sort to blather on the private comm channels, long after the captain and everyone else had told him to shut it. The type who constantly needed reminding that safety gear was a must. Even now, as he stood, having to gently sway to keep his balance, he was breaking ship rules.

Cyan didn’t have an issue with Lime, but Purple found him grating. Still, Cyan never passed up a moment to poke a bit of fun at his companion and he said with a smile that was hidden under his visor.  
“He sure is.” Purple kicked at him under the table, as Cyan continued in a slightly testy voice. “Lime, shouldn’t you be sitting down? Landing requirements are that all crew be sitting you know. You don’t want to crack another helmet.”

“Who are you, Black?” Lime snorted, waving a dismissive hand. “Dude, I’m fine.”

Black, the resident stickler of the ship would have indeed had an issue with the clear safety violation. He’d was known for being inflexible — unfriendly, even. Cyan glanced about, wondering where he might be.

“Where is he, anyway?” Cyan asked, staring back towards the corridor that lead to the upper engine. Lime gave a bored shrug of his shoulder, staggering slightly as the ship jerked in an unexpected fashion.

“Oh, who the hell knows with that guy. Probably off staring at a wall, or maybe he’s off to chew out Brown again. They’ve been having it out for a couple days now, have you noticed?”

“I think ‘having it out’ is a strong way of putting it,” Cyan said. Black and Brown didn’t get along, that was for sure — and it was also true that over the past couple days the two seemed at odds with one another. Brown was… sloppy. Not because he wasn’t organized, but because the man was paranoid. He had taken the Imposter training very seriously and since day one he’d made it a point not to get to know any of them too closely.

His reclusive nature would have normally not caused any problems, but his twitchy nature had caused him to leave jobs about the ship half-finished. This habit clearly had been grating on Black, and the already sharp-edged man was becoming more aggressive with his crewmate.

“He’s probably checking to make sure the ship is still good on fuel,” Purple interjected, his voice still slightly huffy.

“Ah! It speaks!” Lime said and Purple grumbled quietly as Cyan laughed. “But yeah, you’re right. He’s probably doing his double checks — which means he’s not sitting down either, soooo…” Lime gestured to himself, even as he staggered slightly.

“You’re a regular fucking comedian, you know that?” Purple said, finally turning to fully look at Lime.

“Thank you, I am aware.” Lime did a fake bow, before straightening up and glancing about.

“Actually, speaking of, where is everyone else?”

“Red and Orange are helping Dark Green land, White’s in comms, Blue and Yellow are down in bunks, I think, and Pink’s… about.”

“Blue and Yellow are still down in bunks — what a surprise. I can only guess what _they’re_ up to.” Lime said, making a vulgar gesture with his hand.

The Skeld was honestly a real sausage fest. Mira was an equal opportunity hire, yet for some reason this ship had to end up with an all-male crew. Cyan had secretly wondered more than once if it was the companies attempt to prevent certain actives from occurring on board. If this had been their play, they’d clearly forgotten about the gays.

The ship gave an extra hard jerk and Cyan and Purple were bucked in their seats. Purple grabbed the table, a hand shooting out to steady Cyan as their metal enclosure rocked.

Lime gave a yelp, losing his foot on the linoleum floor of the cafeteria. Cyan winced, waiting to hear the cracking of Lime’s helmet, but his crewmate didn’t hit the ground. Quick as a flash, a massive Pink hand quickly extended from out of nowhere, breaking the others fall as it easily caught his arm.

Cyan looked behind Lime, staring at the looming silhouette of Pink. The man was massive, taller than all of them and twice as thick. He towered over Lime as with care he carefully guided the other man back to his feet.

“Hey Pink,” Cyan said as he waved his hand. “We were just wondering where you were.”

Pink nodded his head politely, before his visored gaze focused down on Lime. “Shouldn’t you be sitting?” he asked, his voice a low grumble. Lime seemed to consider protesting for a second, but it was clear that Pink wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer.

“Right, I’ll sit,” he said, walking forward and sitting down next to Cyan. Pink mimicked his movement, his massive weight creaking the bench as he sat down beside Purple. He seemed almost agitated, though it was hard to tell. Pink wasn’t the easiest to read.

He had been assigned to the Skeld around the same time as Cyan, but he had been working with Mira for years. Cyan had heard a rumor that his crewmates prior to this one had been jumped by Imposters. Imposters that Pink had made short work of.

Purple straightened up, glancing over at Pink.

“Hey Pink,” he said, his voice a hair friendlier than it normally was. It was no secret, at least not to Cyan, that Purple thought Pink was interesting.

“Hey Purple,” Pink said, nodding his large head towards the other man. His voice had slightly strained sound to it, something that Purple was quick to pick up on. “Is something wrong?” Purple asked and Cyan leaned forward, a prickle of unease suddenly creeping up his spine.

Pink’s sigh was heavy as he folded his arms. “Polus just sent word… there’s a problem. Rather, there was a problem.”

Cyan could feel Lime peering over him as Purple cocked his helmeted head to the side.

“What happened?” Pink’s hand rested on the table, his fingers tapping idly.

“There was an Imposter breach on Polus.”

Needless to say, when the ship touched down the spirits of the crew were not high. Everyone was… anxious. Cyan had nervously stood in the large group as all of them had gathered. Around him, he could hear whispers floating between his crewmates.

“Blood everywhere.”

“Barely made it out.”

“They threw them in the lava pit.”

A hand at gripped his shoulder, and he turned to find Purple standing beside him.

“You good, Cyan?” Cyan opened his mouth to reply, but he didn’t give a chance as he heard Dark Green’s voice cut through their comms.

“All of you, look sharp,” their captain said before nodding over towards White, who stood beside him. “You may or may not have heard that we received a disturbing bit of intelligence while we were landing. White, if you could fill them in?”

White took a step forward, clearing his voice before speaking quietly in his oddly soothing voice. “It seems that the research team down on Polus had Imposters mixed among their ranks. Two, to be precise.”  
There was silence, the air free of Lime’s normal wisecracks. It seemed even he was unsettled. White cleared his throat, tone that of someone who was taking on a delicate subject.

“When we go out to retrieve our cargo, I’ve been warned that we might see some… leftovers from what occurred. They just finished throwing out the last imposter, and needless to say, they’re a bit shellshocked.”  
There were murmurs of agreement from all those gathered around, all those aside from the stern black-clad figure who stood at the very front of the group.

“Why?” Black demanded, arms folded his voice challenging. White ignored him, which was probably for the best as he continued to speak.

“We want to limit our time there. They need time to recover and our presence won’t be helpful for that.” Once more, a ripple of understanding moved through most of them. Still, it seemed Black wasn’t going to be dissuaded that easily.

“Why?” he repeated, and Cyan could almost hear his heels digging in as he spoke.

“Company policy, article Twenty-four: Five states that any sorts of relationships should be limited to that of the professional sort. They should just be grateful to be alive.”

“You’re out of line, Black,” Dark Green growled and Black fell silent. “Regardless of how you view the situation, there are traumatized people down there. Now if you aren’t going to be helpful, you can stay on the ship…”

“Sorry, Captain,” Black said hastily, though irritation still bubbled in his voice. Purple shook his head as Cyan let out a breath.

“Christ,” Purple muttered. “Bit of a stranger to empathy, isn’t he?”

Cyan had nothing to add as the captain continued to speak.

“Look, I won’t lie to you. What we’re going to see… it won’t be pretty. If you don’t want to see blood, then I won’t begrudge you staying on the ship. This isn’t the sort of shit we sign up for..” Though his voice was stern, there was a soft note somewhere in his voice.

Their captain cared about his crew, and even though Cyan couldn’t see his face, he could tell the man was worried. Cyan felt his head unconsciously turn towards the diminutive Brown. Standing a bit smaller than the rest of the crew, his height was not helped by how he hunched as he stood at the back of the pack. The captain’s words were for all of them, but Cyan got the feeling that all of them were waiting to hear if Brown would bail.

The man said nothing and after a second the captain looked towards the massive metal doors that were still shut.

“Right, let’s go then,” he said, his voice blunt as he walked quickly towards the door.

As the doors opened with a woosh, snow floated about them, sticking to metal and melting. Cyan watched as it settled on his visor, quickly melting as it did so. The air was so cold, and his breath quickly began to fog his helmet as he walked forward, glancing from side to side.

It didn’t take him long to spot the first signs that something was wrong. The base was a sprawling mess of metal buildings, winding like snakes. Tramped-in dirty snow was all about, but one patch of snow, down by a building to Cyan’s right, was stained a deep red. If he looked too closely, he could see that it wasn’t just blood that dirtied the white of the snow. Torn fabric, along with fleshy bits that looked partially frozen, stood in a frozen tribute to whatever had occurred. The small snowman that was built nearby added an uncanny air to the picture, and Cyan was quick to look away.

Moving with his pack of crewmates who seemed to draw closer together as they made their way towards a smaller building which stood right in front of them. Off to the side, in a massive drill nosily worked away within a fenced perimeter, a gaping hole in the ground beside it.

“What do you think that’s for?” Lime whispered a bit too loudly, and was shushed by the crew around him.

Still, Cyan could see heads peering about with interest. It was only as they drew near to their destination that their attention was caught by movement. There were only five of them, their colorful spacesuits eerie doppelgängers of the crew that surrounded Cyan.

The difference, though, was that their suits were stained with what could only be blood. They seemed… drained. Their shoulders slumped as they swayed in the snow, a stack of boxes between them. They seemed to actively want to be near one another, but at the same time obvious distrust rippled through them. It was as though they shared some wound, invisible to Cyan and his peers.

Dark Green raised up a hand, bringing those behind him to a stop. Him and White stepped forward, only to be greeted by the cocking of a gun. Cyan tensed as Red raised their arm, the weapon aimed at their captain.

“Easy, easy…” Dark Green raised his hands.

“Why do they have a gun?” Demanded Blue in a voice that was slightly too loud for comfort. He was ignored as Yellow hastily put a hand on his shoulder, shushing him as he whispered quietly to him. “They probably took it off the Imposter.”

“ _Identification_.”

The voice that came from the helmet was a lighter one, though Cyan was unsure what gender the person behind the visor was. Whoever they were, their voice sounded as though it was being forced through a tightly clenched throat.

“Of course.” Dark Green reached into a pocket on the side of his suit as White mimicked his motion. The two of them extended their cards which were hastily snatched away by the Blue double. The five huddled together, before the ID cards were offered back and the group seemed to relax to a certain degree.

“What happened?” White’s voice as soft, filled with that easy charm that had won over all of his peers onboard the Skeld. He didn’t step forwards, but Cyan saw his hand twitch as though he wanted to reach out and comfort the sad group of survivors in front of him.

There was another long silence, punctuated by the chilly air around them. Finally, the double of Black broke it, their voice rougher than the rest.

“Three years. We’ve been at this base for three years. No changes in staff — just us. Three years and despite that… it didn’t take those monsters who we called friends a second to rip us apart.”  
\  
There was a sort of awkwardness to their voice. A forced anger that didn’t quite match the ferocity of their tone.  
“We were taken off guard. They killed quite a few of us before, before we could stop them.”

Cyan noticed Red’s head jerk slightly as they spoke, and his eyes wandered behind them. Following his gaze, Cyan could see an odd orange glow emanating in the distance. They’d thrown them in the lava pit…

Cyan shuddered.

“What did you do?” Dark Green’s voice was not accusing, rather quiet and subdued.

“We followed company policy,” Blue spoke in a high pitched and soft voice. “We disposed of them… in the… pool.” A visible shudder traveled through them, and Cyan got a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach

that the Imposters weren’t the only ones who’d met their fate in this pool.

There was a moment of silence, before White finally cleared his throat. “Do you need anything from us before we leave?”

“No,” Red’s voice was short, brittle. They exhaled, before continuing in a more steady tone. “No, thank you. Just… just take these. We want them gone…”

“We should make a note of what has occurred here, to bring back to HQ,” White said, his words apologetic. Red nodded their head, the motion mechanical. “Of course, company policy after all,” Red said the words as though they were poison in their mouth.

As the group retreated, backing away from them as though they were dangerous, Cyan let out a heavy exhale.

“Right, well…?” He turned to look at Purple, whose helm had stray snowflakes sticking to it.

“Everyone grab a box.” Black’s tone was stiff as he walked forward, looking behind at them. “Brown, do me a favor and help me,” he snapped. Cyan was jostled slightly as the slight shape of Brown made his way forward.

There were five crates in total and the metal boxes were heavy. As Purple and Cyan each grabbed an end, Cyan felt his arms burn in protest as the heaved it upwards, both of them staggering slightly under its weight.

With shuffling steps, they began to make their way towards the ship, finding themselves behind Blue and Yellow as the pair carried their crate with impressive coordination. Cyan staggered slightly as he attempted to keep up with Purple. The man was at least a couple inches taller than him and had always had better muscle definition.

He only spoke once the two of them had made it inside the ship and were walking the halls down toward the storage area. It was as they approached that he was no longer able to keep it in.  
“Well that was depressing,” he said, gasping slightly as his arms threatened to give out on him. Up ahead he heard a clank and a vicious line of swearing from Black. It seemed that Brown had dropped his side of the container which had barely missed Black’s foot.

“It was,” agreed Purple, his voice sounding oddly distant. “I guess that’s just what happens when an Imposter gets loose, though.” He seemed distracted, giving a hard tug on the crate that made Cyan stumble slightly.

“Sorry,” Purple said as Cyan regained his balance. “Do you need a break?” Cyan nodded his head and the two carefully set the crate down, Cyan catching his breath best he could.

“I’m glad there’s no Imposters on board this ship,” Cyan said as he leaned against the wall, shaking his head. “Honestly, I have no idea what I’d do.”

“You don’t know that you know.”

Cyan started, placing a hand on his chest as he turned to see an irritated Black standing in front of them.

“Oh, piss off Black,” Purple said, irritation lacing his voice. Black did not move, instead keeping his gaze focused on Cyan.

“Neither of you know if there’s an Imposter on board — that’s the whole point of Imposters,” Black continued, undeterred. “Cyan, did you even listen to your training before you got onboard? Anyone could be an Imposter. I could be an Imposter! You just don’t know.”

“Tell you what, Black. If people start popping up dead, we’ll be sure to throw you out the airlock first, okay?” Purple offered, his tone less than friendly. Black did not respond. He simply walked forward, shoulder colliding with Purple in a very purposeful manner as he passed them.

“You’re blocking off traffic, lovebirds,” he snapped, not turning back around. “You could at least take your little convo to the storage room.”  
Purple and Cyan exchanged a look.

“He’s just such a delight,” Cyan said, shaking his head. “Think he meant that in a homophobic way?” Purple shook his head as he reached down, taking his end of the crate. “Eh, I heard from White that he had a boyfriend before we left port. Doesn’t have one anymore, apparently — got dumped before this trip started.” Cyan let out a snort of ill-hidden laughter as he impulsively smacked his hand against his helmet in an effort to cover his mouth.

“I can’t imagine why, with a personality like that.”

“He sucks,” Purple said as Cyan took a good grip on his side of the crate. “He would be the first person I voted off this heap of scrap metal if I had to make a choice.” Cyan gave a grunt of agreement as he and Purple lifted and the crate left the ground with an effort, the box swaying between them as they struggled their way into the storage room.

Cyan was hit with a weave of relief as they staggered inside, dropping the box next to the others. Purple groaned and stretched his arms as Cyan stood quietly for a second. Finally, he turned his head towards Purple and asked in a quiet voice. “Hey, do you think they got the Imposters down on Polus?”

Purple looked over to him and Cyan could feel the disbelieving stare through the helmet.

“I mean, yeah. Without a doubt.” His voice was so confident that Cyan was a little taken aback. Before he could ask why his companion was so sure, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind them.  
“Oh, whatever.”

Cyan turned his head, narrow his eyes at Lime who had just walked in suspiciously box-free. For such a dour scene, the man still had a skip in his step. It seemed the oppressive atmosphere had not managed to smother him, though Cyan got the feeling this wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Lime came to a stop in front of them and folded his arms as he said in a confident voice, “You know it was probably just some sort of cabin fever, right? Like, it had to be. No way there was actually an Imposter down there. They probably just went insane and started bumping each other off.”

Cyan was genuinely offended by Limes flippant tone. “Seriously, Lime? You think that they threw innocent people into that pit of lava?”

Lime nodded his head as he let out a laugh. “Did you see them down there? They all looked like Brown on a bad day. It was probably a fucking lynch law down there once they got going.”

“What is wrong with you, Lime?” Cyan demanded. “People died.”

“Better question,” Purple said putting a hand on his hip. “Why aren’t you getting one of the crates? There were five of them. Are you shirking duties?” Lime waved off his question, gesturing behind him in the hall. “I don’t need to help — Pink’s got it.” Sure enough, Pink strode by him, crate grasped between his arms.

Purple’s head followed him as he moved past them and even Cyan couldn’t help but stare. The goliath that was Pink was truly something to behold. The crate that he and Purple had just moved had to be at least three hundred pounds, but Pink was carrying it like it was nothing.

“That man is a human tank,” Purple commented. “I’d hate to be on the other side if it came down to a fight.”

Cyan had to agree, watching Pink move with slight interest. He’d often wondered what the man looked like under the suit. Pink was secretive. He wasn’t keen on taking off his garb while others were watching, and he wasn’t exactly one to talk about his life. Whenever Cyan pictured what he must look like underneath the layer of pink, his mind conjured up an image of Fabio, but possibly with shorter hair.

Shortly after the crates had been brought inside, Dark Green had returned and the ship had taken off, leaving Polus a speck of a thing in the void of space behind them. Though they left the planet behind, it seemed that they couldn’t leave the knowledge of what they’d seen behind.

Everyone had been on edge the next couple days, other than Lime, who seemed to genuinely believe that the scientists had just gone mad. Nothing was happening, but in a second all of them had turned into Brown. Fidgeting, hasty glances and nervous laughs filled the air as they milled about. Though no one said it out loud, Cyan knew what it was. It was the simple idea that you could know someone for literal years, and still not know them. The idea that you could eat with, speak with and laugh with someone and in a blink of an eye they could turn on you. It was an unsettling concept to be sure, and even Cyan felt as though he was getting a bit jumpy.

Personally though, Cyan was under the assumption that some fault did lie with those who worked at the Polus base. Three years should have been enough time, he thought, to determine if your coworkers was some sort of horrible shapeshifting flesh alien — at least by his estimate.

On day four, Dark Green had called the emergency meeting.

Cyan had been doing general maintenance in O2. As of late, the filters had really started to clog up, and it was as he was cleaning out the debris that had gathered when the shrieking began to thrum through his ears. He’d let out a shriek himself, the noise startling him as the sound of the Klaxon droned in his ear. It took him a second to realize what the sound meant, but when he did he quickly abandoned his task, making his way towards the cafeteria.

He was among the first to arrive, just short of White and Dark Green, both of which seemed responsible for the meeting that had just been called. The man was standing there and though Cyan could not see through his helmet, he knew he had a pensive look on his face.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he took a seat. Dark Green just shook his head, glancing towards White who was standing beside him in an uncomfortable silence.

“Orders from the higher up,” White informed Cyan, his voice calming even as the shriek of the alarm continued. “Dark Green felt it was necessary to practice using the emergency button as a sort of test.”  
As he said this, Black skidded out from the hallway and the rest of the crew was quick to join. The last of the pack was Lime, who lazily sauntered out of the admin hall.

“What’s up, boss man?” he asked as Purple sat down beside Cyan.

“Did something happen?!”

Red’s voice was brittle, his shoulders tense as he looked about. Red had been acting… odd since they left Polus. The man had always been a bit quick of temper, spawning many bad jokes all revolving around the color he wore, but it seemed that his time on Polus had left him with the shortest fuse Cyan had ever seen.

“Orders from Mira,” Dark Green said the words slowly, speculatively. Though he was by far the shortest of all those on board, the air he radiated was enough to keep even Lime in line as he dipped his helmet. Despite his powerful presence, Dark Green seemed unsettled.

The crew about him shared in his discomfort. Even Pink, whose demeanor was normally quite hard to read, seemed to share in this air of impending doom. Cyan got the feeling that the eyes underneath that visor were firmly fixed on their leader as Dark Green seemed to search for the right words.

“Due to recent events, Mira has demanded that we start following the buddy system.” He shifted his weight before adding, “And also, the cargo is to be moved down to the lower decks. We’ll be storing it in personal storage down near your bunks.”

There was silence, that was finally broken by Lime.

“But why?” he asked, his voice speckled with annoyance. “I mean, they don’t really think there’s an Imposter on board.” He laughed, but he was alone in this as an oppressive silence fell around them.

“We don’t know.” Dark Green said, shaking his head. “That’s the whole problem isn’t it? If there are Imposters among us, we aren’t likely to know till it’s too late. Regardless of that, I have my orders.”  
“So what, are we going to pair off like its primary school?” Lime snorted before looking about the table. “Hey, who wants to be my buddy?”

“No one wants to be your buddy,” Purple muttered quietly, but not so quietly that Lime didn’t catch it over comms. He turned, no doubt to retaliate but Dark Green had already held up a hand. “I’ve already paired all of you off. Once you’re paired, we aren’t unpairing till we get to our destination. Do you understand?”

There was muttered agreements as everyone settled down into their seats. Despite the general gloom, Cyan felt his eyes dart to the Purple-clad figure next to him. He crossed his fingers as he listened to Dark Green reading from his list. If he was going to be stuck with someone for the rest of this trip, he’d be delighted if it could be Purple.

Cyan liked Purple… possibly a bit more than he let on in day to day activity.

“Yellow and Blue,” Dark Green began. “Black and Lime…”

“No!” Black and Lime protested at the same time. The captain folded his arms as Lime furiously waved a hand in the air. “Cap, you can’t! I don’t want to be with that asshole for the rest of the trip.”

“Why am I getting stuck on babysitting duty for your most lackluster employee?” demanded Black, clearly ignoring Lime’s insults as he stood up. “I demand to go with someone who can actually do their job!”  
He gestured towards White empathically. “Like White — let me go with White!”

“White’s going with Red,” Dark Green said calmly, glancing over towards their red-clad crewmate. Red seemed to let out an exhale of relief as he gave a quick nod of his head.

“Then let me go with Orange,” Black countered, folding his arms. “I won’t be able to focus on my duties if I have to deal with Lime.”

“Deal with me!?” Lime sounded scandalized, though he added, “But yeah, don’t put us together. Come on, we clearly hate each other.” Dark Green was silent for a second, before he dipped his head.  
“I could hold you both in violation for disobeying a direct order, but fine. Black, you may go with Orange… and Lime, you go with Pink.”

Lime quickly sat back down as Cyan heard Purple give a snort of disbelief. Cyan figured he knew why his crewmate disapproved. Pink had a habit of getting caught up in his chores and would likely not see to it that Lime was doing what he was supposed to.

“Purple, that leaves you with Brown,” Dark Green said, turning towards Purple and Cyan felt his heart sink slightly. Purple also seemed a bit surprised.

“Oh, all right,” he said as his helmet turned. Cyan followed his gaze to the hunched figure of Brown. Though he hadn’t been as late as Lime, he’d also been pretty late. Cyan got the distinct feeling he was going out of his way not to be alone with anyone on the ship.

“And Cyan — you’re with me,” Dark Green instructed. “Let’s try to be safe over the next couple of days, and… if there are any Imposters among us, know that I am fully ready to do what I must to protect my crew.” Dark Green’s words were a clear challenge as his helmeted head turned to look between all of those who sat around the table.

The meeting, though a bit of a downer, had been slightly consoling. Dark Green’s words may have been ominous, but they’d also lit an oddly comforting glow inside of Cyan’s chest. Dark Green tended to have that effect on people he’d noticed. The only thing that had surprised him, was the fact that the man had made him his buddy.

He’d asked Dark Green that first day as he’d sat with him in navigation, staring out at the star-speckled sky.

“I mean, you could have picked Pink, or even White,” he’d followed up as Dark Green had tilted his helmeted head. “I just don’t understand why I was picked. I’m fairly new after all.”  
Dark Green had sat there for a second, before he let out a slightly guilty sounding laugh.

“Well, I think I was afraid that if I put myself with Pink or White and either of them did end up being the Imposter… I might not make the right decision.” He leaned back in his chair and shook his head.  
“I’m not a man who can claim he hasn’t gotten attached to his crewmates, so if one of my old friends is an Imposter, I’d rather hear it from somebody else than be left with the choice to keep it a secret.”  
Cyan shifted nervously, letting out a slightly anxious laugh.

“So, no qualms about throwing me out an airlock, then?” Dark Green shook his head, straightening up rather quickly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. If I’m honest, you’re just pleasant to talk to, and I figured that at least we’d be able to keep each other company over the next month. I’m sure you’d have rather been with Purple, but I needed him to keep an eye on Brown. I’m hoping his unflappable presence will bolster the young man.”

And that was all there really was to say on the matter. For five more days, things had continued and Cyan had gotten to know the captain quite well. He’d come to quite like Dark Green. The man was calm, levelheaded, and more often than not had a plan. When he was with him, Cyan felt that nothing could possibly go wrong as long as he was alive.

Then, the nightmare had begun. It had started with the reactor. Cyan had been vaguely aware of Imposters’ abilities to short out and affect electronics near them. Something about their biochemistry allowed them to emit waves of electricity that would fuck with any sort of gadget within a certain radius.

Despite the training before, Cyan had not recognized the wail. He and Dark Green had been walking past security, when the alarms had gone off. Cyan had whipped about, confused, but Dark Green had simply stiffened. His helmeted head turned towards the entrance to the reactor, and within a second, he was moving.

The two of them bolted into the room, Dark Green yelling out an order. “Cyan, right side!”

Cyan did as he was told, stumbling over himself to get to the sensor. He slammed his hand down onto it, watching as the light turned blue, the alarms dying away.

His heart beat fast, even though his mind hadn’t fully caught up to the situation. As he stood, bent over and panting, he heard footsteps approaching him. He turned to see Dark Green making his way hastily across the ship and for a second, he tensed as the man came to a stop in front of him. He felt his fear dissipate, though, as Dark Green clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“Good job,” he said, sounding a bit breathless. “What was that?” Cyan asked, staring about the room in confusion.

“Reactor meltdown.” Dark Green’s voice was tense, and Cyan saw the man’s head tilt towards the vent near them.

“HQ was right.” His voice seemed, distant. Tired even. Cyan stared at him in confusion. He’d never seen the captain so… distressed.

His body language spoke in volumes, but to what, Cyan wasn’t sure.

“Captain?” he asked. As he did, there was a flicker and then with a sudden flash the lights began to fade away. Cyan frantically reached out, grabbing the Captain’s arm.  
“What the hell?” he demanded. Dark Green was silent for a second, before he cleared his throat.

“Cyan, go fix the lights. You need to reset the breaker in electrical.”

“Of course!” Cyan said as lights inside of his helmet slowly began to flick on one by one. Though the suits were not specifically designed for spacewalking, built-in lights were a feature, providing limited illumination when in the dark.

He took a step forward, hand still clasped about Dark Green’s arm. Dark Green did not move. “Dark Green?” Cyan looked back at him. The lights inside the helmet had lit up, and Cyan could see through that dark visor now.

Dark Green looked oddly… tired. His dark skin did not hide the black circles that had slowly begun to form beneath his eyes. His black beard, which had been so neat and trim when Cyan had seen it previously, was now a scraggly mess. He did not look well, and Cyan realized just how much of a toll this was all taking on him.

“I’m right behind you,” Dark Green assured him. “I just need a minute to do something real fast.” The smile he gave Cyan was tense, and for a second, the man questioned whether he really should go. He wished now, more than ever that he hadn’t. But he had. He turned his head, seeing the emergency lights leading his way out of the room and down the hall.

“If you’re sure,” Cyan said, before turning around and hastily making his way out of the doors. He ran and ran, feet slamming against metal as he went. As he was circling around the lower engine though, the lights flickered, then slowly came back.

Cyan came to a stop, bending over as he took in deep gulps of breath. From ahead of him, he heard pounding footsteps. He looked up just in time to catch sight of Orange, Black, and Purple charging through the doorway in front of him.

“Where’s Dark Green?” Black sounded out of breath as well, though that did not diminish the spark of anger in his voice.

“He’s in reactor,” Cyan said, straightening up. “He sent me to fix the lights…”

“Oh I bet he’s in reactor!” Black snarled as he shoved Cyan out of the way, running past him as Orange followed behind. Purple hastily approached, helping Cyan to his feet. “Cyan… you didn’t leave him alone…”  
It was only as Purple said it, that Cyan realized what a bad idea it was.

“He told me to…” Cyan said, his voice trailing off. “He said he’d be right behind me…”

Purple grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him towards the reactor. Cyan did not resist as he was pulled towards the metal room. That was where his memories got a bit… foggy.

Cyan remembered looking into the reactor. He remembered seeing the helmet very first. It was odd, but the thing was in pristine shape. It had been placed in almost a respectful fashion, bloodless and perfect in the middle of the floor.

A rusty smell spilled out through the air, making him gag slightly as it infiltrated his lungs and his eyes had wandered over towards the body. Dark Green had been ripped to pieces. His spacesuit had been shredded, the top half of his body cleaved away, and his guts and viscera spread out all over the floor. Blood dripped steadily, across the steel floor, staining it a deep red.

Black was on his knees beside the body and Orange was using the wall for balance. Neither of them said a word as Cyan stared at the massacre. Then the shouting had started. Cyan was fairly certain the only reason he’d made it to the table in one piece without Black tearing him apart was Purple. He’d stood between the dazed Cyan and Black as the other man had charged. Even without seeing his face, Cyan knew he was ready to kill.

“HE IS GUILTY!” Red yelled, finger pointed at Cyan as he sat there, his head swimming. He wasn’t the only one who thought that either. Orange and Black were on their feet, and Cyan could almost feel their malicious intent.

“He was running away from the body,” Orange said, an odd streak of malice seeding his voice. “That little fucker killed Dark Green and thought he could sneak through the dark to get away.”  
Black said nothing, though Cyan could feel a miasma of rage radiating in his direction.

“I didn’t… I wouldn’t…” Cyan heard himself croak, speaking for the first time since he got to the table. Images, too terrible to put into words, were seared into his head and he was having a hard time making peace with them. “He was running to fix the lights,” Purple snarled and all eyes turned to him.

“Oh, really, that’s your theory, is it Purple?” demanded Orange, head swiveling in the others direction. “And why do you think that? Sounds like you’re covering.” He almost sounded excited by the prospect.  
“He’s not covered head to toe in fucking blood, that’s how I know it’s not him!” Purple said, leaning forward towards Orange and jabbing a finger at him. “We all saw Dark Green’s body, he was eviscerated. There’s no way Cyan would have had time to clean off.”

“That proves nothing! Besides, why else would he leave Dark Green alone in that room?” Black said, his voice steely.

“Because he told me to,” Cyan whispered. He thought he’d been too quiet to hear, but all heads turned towards him.

“Why the hell would he ask you to do that? That’s, that’s ludicrous!” Black said, choking on his own outrage.

“It’s definitely Cyan.” Orange said, nodding his head. “Black’s right, there’s absolutely no reason…”

“There is a reason, though.”

The soft voice cut Orange off and caused all heads to turn towards the silent members of the table. Blue, Yellow, Pink, Brown, Lime and White had barely said a word since the announcement of Dark Green’s death. It seemed though that White had once again found his voice. He was standing up and leaning forward, hands on the table. His fingers anxiously tapped, and he seemed, disturbed.

“Dark Green knew he was about to die, and he was worried Cyan would get killed if he was a witness.” That statement caused all attention to shift to the soft-spoken white figure who was now standing, arms folded across his chest.

“The damage that was caused during those few precious minutes is more severe than you could imagine. Though I suspect that it has been done slowly over the course of the last few days,” White continued, his voice still soft. Even in his shocked state, Cyan could hear a hollow ring somewhere in the other man’s voice.

“Communication has been cut off with HQ and it seems that even long-range radios aren’t working anymore. Black, help me demonstrate, please.”

Black warily stood up, taking a couple paces back away from the group. Cyan listened, but the speakers in his helmet remained silent. Black knocked at his helmet and Cyan could hear him give a muffled curse from underneath the bulky thing.

Hastily, the man made his way back to the group as Blue spoke up.

“How is that possible?” he asked, but White simply held up a hand.

“Wait, there’s more,” he said, gesturing about the ship. “The lights may be back, but electrical suffered some severe damage. We’re still moving, but just barely.”  
“But how could this happen? How is it even possible?” Yellow protested, his voice high and anxious.

“Who gives a fuck how any of it happened — Cyan is clearly the cause!” Orange said, an annoyed ring in his voice. “Look, let’s just throw him out the airlock before the rest of us end up dead!”

“We aren’t throwing anyone out the airlock.” Pink’s voice cut through the conversation like a knife. Everyone turned towards him as he loomed behind White, helmet turned towards a now cowed Orange. “More than likely, Cyan is innocent. Imposters are known to use the vents and beyond all that, White’s right. Dark Green would have sent Cyan away if he knew he… he was out of time.”

“And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knew he was out of time,” White said, his voice laced with a heavy sadness. “Because… well, he’s locked us out of the bunks where the artifacts are stored.”  
“I’m sorry, WHAT?!” Red demanded, grabbing the sides of his helmet. “We’re LOCKED OUT OF BUNKS!”

“With the power as minimal as it is,” White continued, sounding quite unhappy about the situation. “There’s no way for me to unlock it. We’ll have to fix the damage before we’re able to get back down there and that’s going to take… it’s going to take a while.”

“Seriously!” Lime spoke for the first time, his voice bubbling over with anger. “Where the hell are we supposed to sleep?”

“Lime, there is a murderer among us!” Red snarled as he slammed his hand on the table making it shake. “How can you possibly think about sleeping!”  
“A murderer? You mean Cyan!” Orange said, pointing a finger in the man’s direction.

“No one is getting voted off this ship!” Pink said, his voice louder as Purple stood, fists balled.

“We get to vote,” Black said, his voice once more quiet. All those in the room turned to him. “That’s the rules that have been put in place — each of us gets a vote, and I’m voting Cyan.”

Cyan felt a shiver run up his spine as Orange hastily joined in.

“Yep, I’m voting him too. How about you, Red?”

“Damn RIGHT!” Red said, sticking his hand into the air. Purple sounded like he was about to say something, when White held up a hand. “Okay, fine, you three are voting for Cyan. Does anyone else think Cyan did this?”

Cyan felt fear bubbling up in his throat and even as no one else raised their hands, he felt like he might pass out from the anxiety.

“He didn’t do it,” Purple said, and his voice brought some relief to Cyan as he put a steadying hand on his shoulder. “Even if you didn’t all know Cyan, it seems pretty obvious he’s in shock.”

“I agree,” Yellow spoke up, his voice still slightly tremulous. “He’s clearly traumatized, right, Blue?” Blue nodded his head.

“Yellow and I are passing on our vote,” he said.

“Pass,” Pink agreed, and White gave a brief nod of his head.

“Pass,” muttered Brown in a distracted voice as he shifted from foot to foot. Lime remained silent and White turned towards him.

“Lime, do you have an opinion?”

“This whole thing is stupid!” Lime said, sounding flustered. “I don’t know — pass, I guess!”

White nodded his head, before turning it towards Cyan.

“And what about you, Cyan?” Cyan couldn’t speak, and he simply sat there, feeling ill beyond words.

“He passes.” Purple’s voice was confident, and Cyan managed to nod his head.

“Great, so all of us have voted,” White said, looking over towards the gathering of Red, Black and Orange. “We’ve voted not to throw Cyan off the ship.”

“Fine.” Black was clearly furious, but it was held underneath a firm shield of cool. “So then, what do you propose we do?”

“We stay in pairs,” White said, glancing about the table. “We’ll assess the damages and figure out what it will take to fix them.”

“I’m not going with Cyan,” Black said.

“Obviously not — I’m going with him,” Purple retorted back and White held out his hands. “All of you settle down, we will figure this out.”

“I’ll stick with Blue,” Yellow said and White nodded his head.

“Yes, that’s probably for the best.”

“I’m staying with Orange,” Black said and White once more nodded. “And Purple — you said you’re going with Cyan?” For the first time since the meeting had begun, Cyan felt the cold in his bones fade away slightly to be replaced with the smallest hint of warmth.

He glanced over at Purple, watching as the man nodded his head. He didn’t really listen as the rest of the parties were doled out, his attention stolen away by his companion who sat beside them.

“Thank you,” he muttered quietly to Purple, not bothering to use his mic. Even with the helmet, he was sure they were close enough for the man to hear. Purple gave a brief nod of his head.

“Of course,” he said, an almost comforting note to his voice.

White cleared his throat, regathering everyone’s attention as he spoke in a careful voice. “We have to get the ship started back up, but maybe… should we all take a moment? For Dark Green.”  
There was silence before everyone around the table nodded their head.

“Right,” White said as he sat down again. His action was copied by all those who stood about the table. Even Orange and Red once more took their seats, heads bowed. For a second, silence filled the air. Then, as though pulled by some invisible string, each crewmate got up from their seat.

The time for mourning was behind them. The time for action was now.


	2. A Demonstration of Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pink's got a bad feeling about all this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone brace yourself, smut incoming...

It was quiet. Far, far too quiet. Pink sat up, his suit creaking slightly as he did so. He felt claustrophobic in the hot thing. Even though his suit was significantly larger than everyone else’s, it was still felt far too small for Pink’s bulky frame.

Normally, he would have removed the suit by now - would have been tucked into his none to spacious bunk down below. But today was not one of those days. Today found him among many others, sleeping on the floor of the cafeteria.

Pink let out a heavy sigh as he looked about. A decent amount of his crewmates lay about him, each of them seeming caught in slumber. Out of those who were missing, there was only one whose whereabouts were unknown to Pink.

They’d agreed to sleep in shifts, so that there was no point when the entire ship was asleep and vulnerable to attack. Originally, the plan had been to simply station people around the cafeteria but looking about White noted that there was a distinct lack of guards.

He suspected that, to a certain extent that was Black’s fault. Black had _insisted_ that those who were wake keep working. Pink wondered if Black himself ever intended to sleep. Yellow, Blue and White had all agreed to Black’s terms, in part Pink suspected to keep an eye on the man.

Lime was also gone Pink noted and he felt the smallest note of sus enter the back of his mind. Still, Lime was an impulsive fellow and Pink suspected that maybe the man had decided to go and sleep in the medical bay. After all, there were actual beds in there.

The reason that most of them were sleeping in the cafeteria, was because the MedBay had doors that could be shut. Along with that, there was a vent that lead into it and there were limited places to run if something went wrong. Yes, though Pink as he mulled this over in his mind, it would be quite like Lime to go and sleep in the MedBay.

For a second Pink thought Brown was missing as well, but quickly found the man. He was sitting a little ways off from the group. His knees were pulled up to his chest and he seemed to be staring out the window.

Poor Brown, Pink thought as he watched him. He knew the man was on anxiety medication. Anxiety medication that was now locked below deck and out of reach. He had no doubt the other would be a nervous wreck before all of this was said and done, and he hoped the withdrawal symptoms would be manageable for Brown. His form seemed all the more frail as he sat in the half light of the cafeteria, the lights having been dimmed to make it easier for the crew to rest.

Pink considered approaching Brown for a second, maybe trying to talk him. A bracing word or two might uplift the man he supposed. However, Pink had never been one for conversation, so instead he laid back down on the floor, trying to will himself to fall asleep even as it became more and more evident that wasn’t going to work. It was Dark Green that was keeping him up. The man’s murder hung heavy on his mind.

Pink as a simple fellow when it really came down to it. He loved poker on a Saturday night, a quiet lie down while he caught up with some of his favorite TV shows, the gym. He was not social and the one thing he tried to avoid, especially in such a turbulent work environment, was close relationships with anyone. With Dark Green, he’d failed this.

He had respected Dark Green, had respected Clark. Pink knew the man’s name, he knew him beyond his assigned color. It hadn’t been his first time under working with Clark. Prior ships had found him and Cark as low-ranking technicians together. Pink had chosen to stay in that position, while Clark had taken on the challenge of a leadership role.

If one were to see the late Dark Green and Pink interact, Pink doubted that anyone would guess that he and Clark were friends. There were several on the ship that had worked with Clark before and he’d always been good as just treating them like normal crewmates. Refusing to allow any sort of clique to form onboard the ship.

Pink shifted in discomfort, an odd hollow feeling ringing inside of him. It didn’t make sense to him really, that an Imposter would have gotten Clark. After all, these weren’t the first Imposters he’d gone up against.

It was a little-known fact on board the Skeld, but he and Dark Green had a long history of running into that sort of trouble. The two of them had encountered more than their fair share of the shape shifting creatures and every time before they’d gotten out alive.

The scars along Pink’s body were testaments to how close he’d come to being killed by Imposters in the past. Dark Green had had his far share as well, so why… why did this one get him? It unsettled Pink deeply to his core, forcing even his grief at losing a friend to take a backseat.

It was Dark Green’s helmet that was bothering him. How it had been set so nicely, so neatly in the center of the reactor. As though the Imposter had taken it off the man’s head before it had ripped him to shreds. As though it had spoken to him.

Pink’s eyes shot open and he wearily sat up, realizing that he was going to be unable to sleep.

On his perch Brown still sat, his fingers tapping against the surface of the table in a frantic fashion. Pink rose silently to his feet, considering getting Brown’s attention before he left. Brown was far smarter than most people gave him credit for. Paranoid and antisocial, yes, but very clever.

Somewhere deep down, Pink wondered if Brown already had a guess as to who the Imposter was. Still, approaching him in his current state might not be in Pink’s best interests. Pink knew it wasn’t fair but knowing that Brown was off his meds made him worry that he might start throwing sus for no reason. Best to just leave him for now, Pink decided. Besides, it wasn’t as though Pink was sure he could trust Brown.

After all, when it really came down to it, Pink knew one truth. Someone was the Imposter and it didn’t matter how well he thought he knew everyone. One of them was out for blood, and they’d already taken away the life of a good man.

He wished he’d had access to his bunk. He kept a gun there, a pistol that was always loaded. It had saved his life before and the fact that he had no access to weaponry during this crisis made him feel anxious. In a way though, maybe it was for the best. After all, if he got caught carrying a gun he might be pegged for an Imposter. His weapon was something that Mira had never approved.

Pink carefully and quietly made his way to the hall that led to storage. As he passed the door to a notably empty Admin, he glanced to the other side of the wall. There it was, sealed tight and unopenable. The door to the bunks, the door that Dark Green had sealed.

He’d been a loyal employee to the end Pink thought with a shake of his head. He’d done as Mira asked, he’d kept their payload safe. As he stepped passed the door, heading into the dark, he felt the weight of fear lift slight from his shoulders. There was a confidence moving brought to him. After all, _he_ wasn’t afraid to walk alone in the halls. If there was only one Imposter, Pink was fully ready to throw down with it.

He’d taken Imposters in one on one’s before and thus far he’d won. Sure they had weapons, but he doubted whoever the Imposter was would be eager to use a gun. Not until the ship was making a bit more noise at least to cover up the sound of a shot. That was the only weapon that they could use to get him from a distance, so Pink was unafraid of being sniped. Yes, Pink felt confident that whoever this Imposter was, he could probably take him.

His mind mulled over his words. Imposter… he hoped there was just one. That was a danger he supposed. If there was more than one Imposter, then Pink’s jaunt into the dark could very quickly turn deadly. While Pink’s confidence in his fighting ability assured him that one Imposter, though a bit of a struggle, was easy enough to defeat he wasn’t stupid enough to think that he’d have much luck with two.

He was walking through storage when he came to an abrupt halt. The hairs on the back of his sweat stained neck were standing up as he felt eyes on him. He turned his head, but nothing was behind him. At least nothing he could see. His eyes lingered on the door to the admin room, his mind assuring him he’d caught sight of some sort of movement. After a minute of staring though, he simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk.

It would have been nice if coms were working he thought as he came to stand beside a precariously stacked pile of boxes in storage. Then he could have heard if anyone called for help. His failure to keep his captain safe was weighing on him and the thought of losing another crewmate simply did not bare thinking about.

He stood there silently, his thoughts slowly turning in his head. As he did, an unpleasant thought crept stealthily into his mind.

“Did you sus anyone Clark?” Pink muttered quietly, a sudden tension rising in his shoulder. “When that vent opened were you unsurprised?” The question bothered Pink. Really bothered Pink.

He was sure that Dark Green had to have had sus that he hadn’t shared. The man’s actions over the previous days before he died seemed to indicate as such. When he’d gone up against Imposters before, he’d always been gathered. Confident. This time though, Clark had seemed fatigued, as though there was a great burden weight on his mind.

“If only I could have been there.” Pink felt frustration bubble up inside of him as he clenched his fists. “If only I could have seen…” Pink trailed off, sudden thought entered his mind. The cams in security. There was a backlog of footage and he knew that they were always running. It was protocol after all. If that was the case though, then there was a possibility they might have caught something. He could have slapped himself as he realized the answer had been right in front of him. Right in front of all of them.

He turned, his goal now set as he quickly made his way forward through the hallways. He needed to get to cams. It was odd now that he thought about it, no one in the meeting had mentioned putting anyone on cams. Having a pair of people in security would have likely really helped the situation, and this glaring oversight left him full of distrust as a list of suspects began to form in his mind.

Surely Black should have thought of that, organized as he was. It was true that Black was an ass, but he was also a well-prepared ass. White was just as guilty for not bringing this up, after all he was acting as a self-appointed captain. At the same time though, perhaps White had been affected by Clark’s death. But then there was Brown. Brown should have been the first to bring it up! At the same time though, he could imagine a situation where Brown would be intimidated to talk.

There were others to. Blue and Yellow were usually well organized, despite being salty Purple tended to be quite smart, Red was beyond paranoid at this point, even Orange really should have spoken up and said something! Only Cyan and Lime, thought Pink, were clear in his mind. After all, Cyan had been traumatized and Lime was rarely ever helpful. That still left eight of them thought. Eight suspects

Which one, which one. A dribble of sweat slid down Pinks neck as he rounded his way through the far too quiet lower engine. He was nearly to his destination when he slowed to at stop, his breath hitching. He heard something from somewhere ahead of him, the noise so distinctive to him that his mind assured him that it couldn’t possibly be anything else.

It was the sound of a vent opening from somewhere ahead of him. Whoever the Imposter was, they were moving about. Pink felt a surge of anger, adrenaline beginning to pump and in a second he was moving again. The security room he realized, that’s where he was sure the noise had come from. A fear bubbled up inside of his chest as a thought occurred to him. What if they’d already gotten to the footage?

He closed the distance between him and his destination, skidding inside as he prepared to see the wreckage of the security cams. However, as his eyes flicked about the bright room, he found nothing out of place. The screens still flickered away, showing footage of the ship as they did.

Pinks eyes snapped to the vent, but it was long closed. He must have spooked them he decided, feeling a vicious swell of pride in his chest. This didn’t last long as his head fully turned to look over towards the cameras. This was why he was here after all. He walked over, suddenly feeling a bit unsure as he moved to the left of them. The tower of black boxes with their blinking lights worried Pink as he stared at them. He’d never tried to access the backlogged footage before.

As far as he was aware, the only person who’d ever done that was Dark Green. He hadn’t done it very often either, the cameras more of a safety precaution than anything else. He could go get help he supposed, but at the same time Pink was unsure who he could trust. No… best to sort this out himself he decided.

As his eyes darted across the machinery and he was so occupied that he nearly missed the sharp hiss of the door closing behind him.

It took him a few seconds to realize what had happened, but when his mind finally brought him sharply to attention his back stiffened. Before he could turn around and look however, the lights above him died. Darkness surrounded him, leaving him trapped in a locked room with only the glow of his suit and the screens to guide him. A locked room which he completely sure he was not alone in. He could hear somebody moving by the door, shifting their weight from foot to foot as they stood silently.

Pink took in a breath, before balling his fists at his side. He straightened up, stiff as a board as he banished all fear from his stance. Go time was now it seemed, and Pink was ready for a bit of vengeance in the name of his friend.

“I know you’re in here.” He growled, his brusque voice loud enough that he was sure, even without its comms, the Imposter would be able to hear him. “I know you’re in here, and I’m ready for a fight monster.”

He’d have to move fast. While the normal weapons the Imposter’s carried consisted of guns and knives, Pink was aware of their natural abilities.

The shapeshifters were nothing but a mass of tentacles and teeth after all, a wicked pile of flesh that sought nothing but to kill. There could pierce through bone with those tentacles if they so desired and beyond that they were extraordinarily strong. But so was Pink, and he had the instincts of a long time survivor to go along with this. However, as he circled about in the dark, he was painfully aware of one thing.

Pink knew were the vents connected. He made it a point to learn all the access and exit points an Imposter could take and he knew for sure that the vent behind him only lead to electrical and MedBay. He knew he’d heard that vent move, so unless the Imposter had looped around.

In the darkness, his ears detected the creaking of a vent and his heart sank. Two Imposters he realized, there were two of them. He turned his head, noting that the lights above him were slowly flickering back to life. His eyes watched as the top of the vent rattled as something hit it from beneath.

**“Pink, Pink, Pink, don’t you know you’re supposed to have a buddy?”**

His attention flipped back to the door, unable to stop himself as he stared in disbelief at the figure. He saw red as he stared at the figure, an anger unlike any other that he’d ever felt filling him. “So it’s you.” He spat through gritted teeth. “I suppose I should have guessed, what with the way Dark Green died.”

The astronaut who was not an astronaut held up a finger and waved it at him, the action not fitting its current appearance in the slightest. The helmet was overflowing with slimy meaty tendrils that wound towards the floor, the suit rippling as things slithered about inside. A massive drooling mouth had been ripped across the middle, the corners of it upturned in a nasty smile.

**“Not just me.”**

It corrected him with a smug air to its voice. Pink whipped around but didn’t have time to doge the tentacle covered in slime and teeth that flew towards him as the second Imposter pulled its way out of the vent. It wrapped about his arm and Pink gave a yank, furiously pulling the creature towards him as he stared at it.

The spacesuit that made up its faux body split apart at the seams as a mouth split across it. It’s expression was not that of a smile, but an angry scowl. Teeth glinted in the ambient lighting of the security room as Pink wrestled with the tentacle, feeling it digging into his arm with a vicious force, puncturing his suit.

“You?!” Pink demanded as he grappled with the tentacle. He was genuinely taken aback, but the shock did not put him out of commission for long. Pink was a fighter and he wasn’t going down that easy. He braced himself against the tentacle and wrapped his hand about it, pulling the Imposter closer.

He watched it stagger, trying to stay in the vent but he wasn’t allowing that. Even as he saw the glint of a knife in its hands, he pulled against the tentacle, the force of his yank dislodging the Imposter and dragging it outwards.

He knew how to kill them, if he could just reach the body…

A blow conked against the side of his head and he reeled as the first Imposter finally jumping into action. He turned to fight it, but the second Imposter was quick. As Pink turned, reaching out for the first Imposter, the second one was out of the vent and on him.

It slammed into him, sending him toppling to the floor.

**“Really Pink, you should know you can’t win this. Not with both of us.”**

The first Imposters voice as a sing song taunt as it kicked him hard in the side of the head. The might of its blow stunned him, causing his world to spin. He’d lost the high ground and Pink knew somewhere deep down that this meant the fight was over before it had even really begun.

He tried to get back up, pushing himself off the floor, only to be staggered as the second Imposter grabbed his right leg, pulling it out from under him and forcing his helmet to slam into the ground. Pink still fought, but then came the tendrils. Tentacles surrounded him, his arms yanked viciously behind his back as he was bound by the slimy appendages.

They wove about him, stronger than ropes binding him until he lay helpless against the cold security floor.

He could hear panting, both Imposters apparently winded. That did not stop them from speaking though.

**“How fortunate for us that you wandered away. Honestly Pink, you out of everyone should have known better.”**

The first Imposter sounded genuinely chastising as the tentacles about Pink tightened to a painful degree. Pink squirmed but found that he was being held prone.

 **“Of course he wandered away.”** Sneered the second Imposter, its voice harsher than the first. **“Big strong Pink’s not afraid of anyone or anything.”**

 **“Careful.”** Warned the first, its voice sounding slightly antsy. **“This one’s a killer. Don’t forget he’s done in more than a few of us.”**

**“I am well aware.”**

Pink’s breathing fogged his helmet and he flinched as he felt a hand gently tease under the rim. As it did, he realized that even though the coms were down, it might have been a good idea to shout. Pink wasn’t used to calling out for help and so the thought hadn’t come naturally to him. He tried to remedy his mistake, even as the helmet was ripped away from his head.

“HELP, IMPOSTERS IN THE SECURITY ROOM!”

Despite his efforts, his voice reaching only the ears of the two beasts that crouched over him as they easily pinned him down. He felt their tentacles, slick with slime wrapping about him as he watched his helmet crack against the wall of the room. It was odd, seeing the room without the protection of his visor. He’d been on this ship for almost a year and he’d never seen this place without the tint of the darkened glass.

**“Don’t be that way Pink.”**

The first Imposter’s voice was almost crooning, sickeningly sweet as he heard mockery bubbling up from it. Malice.

**“You had to know you were next, after all we can’t have you running about the ship. You’d cause problems.”**

“Your cowards!” Pink spat angrily, feeling a tentacle wrap about his neck, pulling him to his knees as the teeth embedded along it cut bloody streaks into his exposed throat. He heard the first Imposter make a tutting noise and he could almost see it shaking its head at him.

**“Not cowards, survivors Pink.”**

The tentacle tightened as he felt hands on his shoulders. A whisper of breath ghosted across his neck, an odd scent that he’d never fully been able to smell while his senses were held captive by his helmet. Slick, worming tentacles slid in between the cracks left by his space suit, sliding down across his body. Rogue teeth cut at his skin… yet even as pain seared about him he realized something that put him on edge.

“Why aren’t I dead yet? The fuck are you two up to?” He demanded, even though he really didn’t want the answer to that question. By all rights, he should be nothing but a puddle of blood and gore being feasted on by these two.

A hand’s caught his throat, the power of its grip choking him. As he gurgled, the voice of the second Imposter sounded in his ear.

**“Pink, we couldn’t _just_ kill you. Not after we’ve all been through together.”**

It was as this was said, Pink felt the tentacles pause. They had reached his legs, his thighs, his… slick tendrils slid across his ass, dampening the crack. Pink struggled, choking in alarm. He’d been prepared to die, but this was something different. Something worse.

He hadn’t mentally prepared for this. He’d been ready for pain, for a fight, perhaps even death. However their intentions had managed to take him off guard and any threats or vicious words were buried in a pitiful fear filled groan that escaped his mouth as his eyes widening in dismay. He heard laughter, dark and distorted at his panic as the first Imposter stepped around him to stand in front of him. He stared at it, his throat tight as he took it in fully for the first time.

It as a conglomeration of horror. Throbbing tentacles, twisting flesh. A massive toothed smile had twisted, splitting the belly of the colored suit with a vicious smile. Yet, most uncanny was what he saw when the creature reached up and twisted the helmet off of its head. Though tentacles still spilled in a grotesque fashion from the neck, as the helmet was pulled free a human face was seen.

Green bright eyes observed him framed by wavy blond hair and a slightly playful smile that did not fit the tone of what was happening. For a second, he stared up into the face of someone he’d known. Someone he’d considered to some degree, to be a friend. Then the head split, flesh stripping away as the reality of the form was revealed. Writhing sinew woven with teeth laced downwards as the mouth split at the edges, weaving up int a wider smile.

As it did, Pink felt the tentacles violating his spacesuit find their mark. They pressed up against his shaking tensed hole, prodding at it forcefully. He wanted to speak, but the hand around his throat wouldn’t let him. It choked him, making his breathing ragged and sharp. The Imposter in front of him dropped down to its knees, placing a gloved hand against his reddening face as he hacked for oxygen.

**“It will be easier for you if you relax.”**

It said, its thrumming voice of dis-harmonic notes soft... almost friendly. It was sickening to hear it speak as Pink’s mind forced memories from the past forward in his head. Time spent with the monster than knelt in front of him. As though to mock him further, the face slowly twisted back, reforming.

He stared into the facade of green eyes he felt bitter rage. Not even for himself, but for Dark Green. With this surge of strength he forced words from his mouth with the little oxygen he had.

“He. Trusted. You.”

**“Did he?”**

It was clear that the Imposter understood his accusation as its all too human face frowned slightly.

**“I don’t think he did, not really.”**

It leaned in, softly adding. **“Not at the end at least.”**

Pink had little time to think on that as the creature closed the distance between their faces. A tongue slithered out from between the human mouth, a tongue so big that ripped the Imposter’s disguise back as it came.

The ‘tongue’ was achingly huge. Slick with drool, it forced its way into his mouth, sliding down his throat in a choking fashion. He did his best two work his jaws down on the fleshy appendage, but he didn’t have enough bite force to do anything.

**“Did you trust me Pink?”**

The question came from in front of him, the voice coming from the mouth that split across the Imposter’s stomach.

**“Or had the gears begun to turn in that brain of yours I wonder?”**

Pink tried very hard to bite, his actions invoking a laugh from the mangled being in front of him.

**“I’ll take that as a yes.”**

It was as these words were said, that the tentacles that had merely been teasing his outsides with prodding pokes, finally began to force their way inside. It was searing hot pain as the first strand of flesh began to slither inside of him. The length of the appendage was lubricated only by the otherworldly gunk that clung to it. It twisted and thrashed as it forced itself deeper into his unused hole and Pink’s scream could be heard, even through the tongue that blocked his protests.

**“For a big guy, you’re a fucking wimp.”**

The voice behind Pink was taunting as the second Imposter paused its invasion allowing Pink to twitch and shudder against the ground. Then with a terrifying ease it pumped the tentacle inside him back and forth, Pink’s asshole aching in protest as it was forced open again and again.

Pink struggled best he could, but the hand around his throat combined with the tongue in his mouth was making it tricky to gain any sort of bearings. The slippery thing was slowly sinking deeper down Pink’s esophagus and he wondered faintly when the first Imposter was planning on stopping.

It was as he thought this, the second Imposter pressed another tentacle up to the already taut opening. With a horrible hiss from the creature, the tip of it slid inside, followed by its ever-swelling girth. The Imposter dragged it along his insides as it joined the first in the conquest of Pink’s insides.

**“I thought you were the tough guy of the ship, why are you screaming?”**

The question took him by surprise, but Pink realized that he was screaming. Or at least he was trying. His deep throated cries were muffled by the first Imposter who currently held claim over his throat and lips.

Pink was seeing black spots as he writhed, his body torn between trying to free himself from the tongue cutting off his airways or jerking away from the tentacles that were slowly prying his asshole further open with each one that got added. His indecision made him dizzy as the Imposter in front of him easily held him in place, hand stroking through his hair in a charlatan gesture of comfort.

All the while, invading appendages from both Imposters were crawling inside his suit, filling it until bits of it bent and burst as they tore it at the seams.

The frame of it was torn from his back, sagging on his front as a few stray bits held it together. As this occurred, he felt the searing pain of a third tentacle forcing its way inside of him. Still, he wondered if he would be conscious long enough to feel its full width. The dark spots were becoming more prevalent now as the hand remained tightly on his throat and the Imposter in front of him refused to allow him to breathe with the little space he had left.

Its tongue worked back and forth, exploring down his throat. It was violating, as part of him that were never meant to be touched suffered the caress of the slick object. He felt as though the oddly slimy touch of the thing was stroking him, tasting him.

Then, abruptly the tongue was pulled from him and his mouth was finally allowed to release the screams it had been holding in. They were deep and pained as he felt his eyes sting with unbidden tears. Hands gripped his cheeks, stroking across them as the rid his face of tears.

**“Come on now Pink, don’t cry. If you cry there really is no hope for anyone is there?”**

As he heard demonic sounding shushing, Pink frantically wondered how it was possible that no one had heard his pained scream. Was it possible that everyone else was simply on the other side of the ship? Or maybe it was the helmets… yes, that had to be it! They were so used to having coms, but now those were gone. The helmets were a hindrance. However, Pink got the feeling he wasn’t going to survive long enough to pass on this knowledge.

Despite this thought, he tried to force himself up once more. He almost managed it, despite the winding tendrils that held him down. It was then that the Imposter in front of him grabbed his arms. In a vicious motion it gave them a yank. He heard a snapping noise, followed by a searing pain in his limbs as the creature snapped the bones inside.

As he shrieked, face pressed into the ground he felt a sudden bundle of squirming tentacles make a charge, his ass taking the brunt of five more as they gaped him open. He sobbed into the floor as they worked back and forth in a feral fashion. Each thrust going deeper and deeper into him until he was genuinely unsure where they’d actually reached.

**“Lucky this damn ship’s so soundproof, because it looks like Pink _can_ be loud when he wants.”**

The grip around his throat was gone now, a hand pressed firmly against the back of his head as it held him in place. Pink heard the laughter of the first Imposter in front of him and he felt words bubbling up out of his mouth before he could help himself.

“P… please, just kill me!”

This placation caused laughter as the tentacle cluster inside of him ballooned out. He could feel splitting, something tearing as it forced its way deeper in.

**“Oh, but you’re so much fun Pink.”**

Snapped the Imposter behind him, amusement lingering in every syllable of its voice.

**“And besides, you’ve killed your fair share of Imposters. Consider this revenge.”**

Pink’s screams heightened as his broken arms were knelt on. The Imposter in front of him was leaning over, knees resting firmly on the breaks as it seemed to examine the bloody mess that was being made of Pink’s once taut hole. He felt a hand rubbing against his back.

**“Don’t worry Pink, I think we’re nearly done with you.”**

It said in a bracing voice.

A tongue slicked down his sweating back, teasing over his left as cheek. He could barely make out that it was happening though, his world a blinding mass of searing pain. He shouldn’t be conscious he thought desperately as he felt agony batter down on him with no relief. He shouldn’t be conscious and yet here he was.

Maybe it was the sheer adrenaline of it all. The panic and terror of a body that knew it was going to die if it didn’t manage to escape the grasp of the two predators that were holding it still.

**“Think he can take more?”**

The voice came from directly above him as the first Imposter dug its knees harder into his broken limbs. Pink felt something inside him tear at the gesture, though this time not physical. Pink was not the most emotional man, but somewhere inside he had to question why it would do it. Not the second Imposter, but the first. He’d known it, he’d called it a friend. It could have at least killed him quickly. Clearly, it had granted that dignity to Dark Green.

**“Probably not, but that’s not our problem.”**

Quipped back the voice of the second Imposter. He could hear rolling lolls of lust in its voice, as it worked its tentacles in an unmerciful fashion inside of him.

**“Fair point.”**

Pink screamed into the metal of the floor as he felt the first shove. The Imposter whose knees still rested firmly on his shattered arms slid its tongue from its resting place and between his ass cheeks, flicking at the bloodied hole. Then, with an effort it slid the very tip of it, moving it in to join the tentacles as they continued to work him violently.

Slowly, painfully, the tongue began to slid its way down. It was so thick, and with every centimeter Pink felt his asshole was coming closer to busting out. He felt gloved hands running up and down his shaking sides, sliding inside the shredded remains of his spacesuit. They made their way up, pressing down hard into his nipples, before moving down.

Even through the cacophony of his mind, he could still feel it when they fastened around his dick. He also felt the roving tentacle as it slid up next to the hand, prodding at his exposed urethra. It stung when it slid inside, and Pink felt it was unfair that he could feel it through all the pain as he ached to slam his hands on the ground.

His chest rose and fell, rose and fell with the rhythm of the penetrating forces about him. His screams became raspy and pained until finally, even with all the agony all he could do was slump to the floor and weep. Hissed groans filled the air, lust filled snarls as the Imposters finished using his body. He heard a physical pop as his asshole was emptied out, leaving an airy feeling in its place.

He just stayed on the ground, feeling the knees finally leave his broken arms. Then came the arms about his waist. He flopped back, leaning against the chest of the first Imposter, as tears rolled down his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a glint of a gun.

 **“You shouldn’t be using that.”** The second Imposter sounded annoyed. **“It’s far too noisy.”**

 **“Oh be nice.”** Came the others voice in his ear as he felt the weapon pressed against his temple. **“I think Pink would rather be shot, wouldn’t you Pink?”**

Pink tilted his head, glancing back with glazed eyes at the Imposter behind him. “What is wrong with you?” He muttered, feeling his insides wracked with unimaginable pain. “Both of you?”

Those green eyes crinkled up into a smile as the Imposter ran a free hand through his sweat stained hair.

**“No point in discussing that with a dead man is there?”**

He heard the gun cock and Pink allowed his eyes to fall shut. He wasn’t escaping this and honestly, the Imposter who held him in its arms was right. He did want to be shot, he wanted to pain to go away.

**“Goodbye Pink, send Dark Green our regards.”**

At least the bullet was quick.

  


************************

As the dead body slumped to the floor, the Imposter with the green eyes hid away his gun, glancing up to his companion as the corpse still rested in his arms. He noted, with a slight smile of amusement that he hadn’t taken off his helmet. In the visor, he saw his twisted form reflected and quickly he began to retreat back, taking on a more human shape.

 **“I’ll miss him.”** He commented as tousling what was left of Pink’s blood-stained hair. The gun had blown half his head in with its bullet, spraying his brain matter across the room. Lumps of it stained the Imposters outfit and quickly he began to process of cleaning himself, tentacles licking out from between the cracks to wipe away the gore.

**“I won’t.”**

Snapped the helmeted Imposter as he folded his arms.

**“He had quite the large kill count that came with him. I’m just glad he went down without too many problems.”**

The Imposter gave a snort of disbelief as he carefully extracted himself from the corpse, allowing the still warm body to collapse to the ground.

**“For someone who was worried, you didn’t seem to be to bothered about playing with him.”**

The helmeted Imposter gave a shrug of his shoulders.

**“I suppose you’re never too busy to have fun. Besides, I will admit I was curious what was under the suit. Though we could have been a bit faster.”**

The Imposter smiled and shook his head as he meandered over to where his helmet had been placed on the ground. **“So impatient. You’re supposed to take your time with them you know. It’s what makes it fun.”**

 **“We don’t have time.”** Pointed out the helmeted Imposter, the declaration causing the other to go silent. There was a stillness, before the Imposter with the helmet finally broke it in a business-like voice. **“So, that’s two down.”**

The green-eyed Imposter nodded his head, glancing towards the security door. He was grateful to note that the door had remained closed throughout their encounter. He doubted it would remain so for much longer though. “ **We’ll have to be careful, the last thing we need is for this situation to get out of hand.”**

 **“Brown needs to die.”** The answer was firm, causing the green-eyed Imposter to frown as he turned to his companion.

 **“You know he’ll be the first to figure out who we are.”** Reasoned the other Imposter. **“He may be paranoid, but he’s also smart. My guess is he already suspects you.”** He stepped forward and gave the green-eyed Imposter a firm shove jab.

The green-eyed Imposter shifted, still frowning. He didn’t like that plan if he was being honest.

**“I’ve got a… thing for Brown.”**

He said after a moments contemplation.

 **“I am aware, and I respect that. But if you can’t find a way to keep him quiet, you know we’re going to have to kill him.”** His companion responded, folding his arms.

The green-eyed Imposter pursed his lips, all his true features once more hidden in his flesh disguise.

“Give me a day.” He said, his voice no longer carrying the menacing undertone it had held before. “I think I know how to make this a non-issue.”

The other Imposter gave a sigh, but the green-eyed Imposter knew he wouldn’t argue. After all, everyone had their vices, and this included his companion. It glanced back at Pinks body that lay in a sad heap on the floor. Inside, a hunger far different than the previous one stirred. His stomach growled and he glanced over to his peer.

“Care to grab a snack before we return to our duties?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip Pink. Can the Imposters get another kill in before his body gets found? It remains to be seen.


	3. Neverending Sus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyan and Purple stick close together as the crews' trust in one another continues to fracture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to check in on our boi Cyan.

“Cyan, you have to listen to me!”

Cyan shifted in discomfort as he anxiously glanced about, searching for Purple. They’d only walked away from one another for a second, but apparently that had been all it had took.

Cyan was fixing wiring right outside of Nav. He’d been so focused on his task, he hadn’t noticed the scuttling figure of Brown come edging down the hallway towards him until it was too late. Purple was cleaning out the O2 filter, and he’d said he would only take a second.

Purple was still close enough that Cyan was confident he could reach him… if he needed to. However, he would have to get a bit closer for the mics in their helmets to work again. Not that he was afraid of the trembling Brown who stood before him — at least, that’s what he told himself.

He was just… making Cyan uncomfortable. He stood a bit too close, his movements a bit too jerky. They triggered something in the back of Cyan’s brain that made him want to retreat, without fully knowing the reason why.

Truthfully, Cyan was already on edge. His discomfort had started when he’d first awoken that morning and found that he and Purple were among the few still sleeping. He wasn’t sure where everyone else had gone, but White had left task sheets on the table for them. Apparently, they were focusing their efforts on jobs in the front of the ship.

It seemed that cleaning out the oxygen, correcting their flight pattern, and diverting some of their energy to shields so they didn’t get peppered with any space debris was what White felt they should be working on. No one seemed to be arguing with his assessment, either. After all, the last thing anyone wanted was for the ship to be destroyed before they got a chance to get the engines back up and running again.

Cyan’s sleep had been interrupted several times by asteroids clipping the sides of the ship, and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t make him anxious to fix the problem. While it was true White was not in charge in any official capacity, he seemed to have naturally taken over to some degree. Cyan wasn’t arguing.

It had taken Purple awhile to wake up after Cyan, leaving Cyan to carefully navigate the cafeteria and find some food to eat. It had been disconcerting looking about the place without his visor tinting the view. At least he’d had a show as he’d watched White and Red argue at one of the doors, White attempting to be calm, and Red waving his arms empathically. He couldn’t hear what either of them were saying, their helmets blocking out their words, but White’s body language implied he was less than pleased with Red.

When Purple had finally woken up he’d chosen to pass on breakfast in favor of starting up repairs. Which brought Cyan to yet another thing that was putting him on edge. He’d seen almost everyone today. He’d passed Yellow and Blue and shared a polite good morning, gotten glared at by Black and Orange, reluctantly high-fived Lime, who was wandering around without a partner, watched Brown scuttle around a corner in an anxious fashion… and of course, there’d been Red and White in the cafeteria.

All these crewmates, all these colors, but Pink was nowhere to be seen. Cyan thought this was a bit… odd. It was true that Pink had been know for occasionally wandering off. A man of his size had little to fear, after all, and Cyan wasn’t sure the thought of an Imposter rattled the big guy that much. But it had been hours now, and Cyan still hadn’t seen him. It had sparked a small worry that clawed at the back of his mind as he tried to smother it.

And now, Brown had cornered him, and _he_ seemed about as stable as a man with his feet over the edge of a cliff on a windy day.

As Brown violated his personal bubble, Cyan flinched, but then reminded himself that it was just Brown. The man’s heavy breathing filled his ears in an unpleasant fashion, and Cyan had to imagine that he was drenched in sweat. He seemed like he was on the verge of some mental snap.

“Brown, is everything okay?” Cyan had asked carefully, wondering if he would regret the question. His got his answer a second later when Brown began to word-vomit.

“Cyan, I know who the Imposter is… or I _think_ I do. This is _bad —_ this is _really bad_ if I’m right! I don’t even know what we’re going to do if I’m right, Cyan… Cyan, I need you to tell me if you woke up last night! I think I’m the _only_ one who noticed what happened! Cyan, did you see what happened!? _Did you see it, Cyan?!_ ”

He was babbling so fast that Cyan could barely pick up on the words and he hastily held up his gloved hands, taking a small step back. “Brown, slow down, please. I…” he began, but Brown took a big step forward, once more back in his personal space bubble.

“Cyan, last night the power went out. Not _once_ , but _twice_! _Twice,_ Cyan, and people who should have been there were gone. It went out once, and people were _missing_ and then it went out again and people had _come back_. _Cyan, people had come back_! Do you understand what I’m saying!?”

“Brown, please calm down! I have no idea what you’re trying to say!” Cyan had pleaded, but there was no calming the clearly very upset man. He was speaking fast — far too fast, and with every word, Cyan became more and more concerned he might be in danger.

Not because he thought Brown was the Imposter, but because he was beginning to think that Brown was genuinely and might actually attack him if he felt like he wasn’t being understood. The man’s limbs were shaking, and his hands were twitching. He seemed unable to stay still for even half a second and it was freaking Cyan out. He’d never seen Brown like this. Sure he could be paranoid on occasion, but this was… unsettling.

“I am listening,” Cyan said, frantically holding up his hands. “Brown, please, I have no idea what you’re even trying to say!” A wave of reprieve washed over him as he heard a grumble of a voice echo out through his helmet.

“What in the hell? Brown, what are you doing here?” Cyan breathed a hidden sigh of relief as he turned to see Purple walking down the hall from O2, his helmeted head turned towards Brown. He seemed to tense as he noticed Brown’s condition, but at the sight of him Brown’s words had teetered off and he suddenly seemed unsure, hastily stepping back a tick.

“Oh… hello, Purple,” he said meekly as Purple stepped up beside Cyan.

Cyan felt a warmth creep about him as he guiltily basked in the protective presence the other brought. Quickly he cleared his throat.

“Er… I think Brown _thinks_ he knows who the Imposter is?” he said, trying not to sound too pointed looking between Brown and Purple. “That’s what you said… right, Brown?”

“ _Imposters_ ,” Brown muttered softly, but Purple seemed to ignore this as he tilted his head to the side.

“Really?” The man didn’t sound convinced. “Who do you think it is?” Brown looked between the two, and Cyan got the feeling that he wasn’t keen on speaking in front of Purple. Purple folded his arms and a sharp note of irritation entered his voice “Brown you chucklefuck, if you say it’s me, I…”

“No, no!” Brown hastily held up his hands. “No, it’s not like that. I just…” He lowered his voice, his whisper harsh in the microphone. “Cyan’s location is the only one I’m sure of throughout the evening. He didn’t move at all when the lights were off…”

“Oh yeah, the lights went off last night, didn’t they?” Purple said in an offhand voice. “Didn’t Black say something about that to you?”

“More like whispered it venomously at me,” Cyan said, trying hide his discomfort under a small laugh. “Hey Brown, want to go pass on that I’m innocent to him and Orange? I think they still want me gone.”

“Not as though they’d listen to him in his current state,” Purple commented as he seemed to look Brown up and down. “Brown, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so twitchy?”

“Didn’t sleep much,” Brown said in an evasive voice, dancing from foot to foot as he looked between Cyan and Purple.

“Yeah, I don’t think any of us did, and you don’t see _us_ skulking through the halls and ambushing fellow crewmates,” Purple said, not sounding convinced in the slightest.

“So who is it?” Cyan asked, eager to move the conversation along. Truthfully, now that Purple was with him, he was a bit curious as to who Brown had decided to throw his sus at.

Brown paused. He looked… shifty. As though he was suddenly reconsidering if he wanted to say anything. “I just… I think it might be…” he began before a sharp voice down the hall cut him off.

“Brown, what are you doing?”

Brown yelped, turning around. Cyan mimicked his movement, finding that Black had just walked up from Shields and was now standing, staring at the small gathering.

“I… I was just talking with Cyan,” Brown said, rubbing at one of his arms in and oddly frantic motion. His twitching hadn’t stopped, in fact it seemed to be getting worse by the second. Cyan leaned back from him ever so slightly. There was a slight touch on his shoulder as Purple carefully guided him back a couple of steps further. It seemed his friend didn’t like how the other man was acting either.

“Where’s Lime, isn’t he your designated buddy?” he demanded as Orange rounded the corner, coming to a stop behind Black.

“I don’t know…” Brown admitted, sounding decidedly upset. “He doesn’t believe an Imposter is killing people, and he’s refusing to take any of this seriously.”

“He doesn’t think there’s… then what the hell _does_ he think is happening?” demanded Black sounding outraged. Brown gave a helpless shrug. “He thinks that the captain’s death was just some sort of personal scuffle.”

Cyan felt heat rise to his face.

“Seriously!?” he demanded, really wishing he could take back the high five he’d previously given to Lime. Brown reluctantly nodded his head.

“He’s refusing to stick around. Every time I try to do a task, his disappears the moment I look up. I don’t know where he’s wandered off to now.”

“A convenient story,” Orange scoffed, folding his arms. “He disappears, you say. I don’t suppose when he reappears, he’ll be dead?” Brown frantically shook his head as Black folded his arms, suspicion emanating from him. “You’re acting a bit… off, Brown. What’s wrong with you?” Black demanded, his voice laced with sus.

“Oh, lay off, you death mongers,” Purple snapped as he gestured into the air. “Lime’s fucking impossible, you both know that. That sounds exactly like something he’d do.” Brown glanced towards Purple and Cyan could tell he was grateful.

Cyan was grateful to. Purple may have been brusque, but he got the job done when you needed him to.

“He’s by himself though,” Orange pressed, pointing and accusing finger at Brown. “Aside from Lime, who the hell would wander around by themselves without a buddy after what happened to Dark Green? It’s sus and all of you know it.”

“He’s got a point,” Black said, folding his arms. “Also, it doesn’t negate the fact that he’s acting weird.”

“Do you have meds you’ve forgotten to take?”

The words sounded like a taunt as Orange through them, and Cyan watched Brown shrink, seeming to have nothing to say in his defense.

Black glanced at Orange, seemingly annoyed by his peers remark before adding, “Besides, we have no proof that Lime’s still alive…”

“Oh, he’s alive. I saw him wandering around by himself.”

The group turned their heads as White walked down the O2 hallway. He glanced between them and asked in a soothing voice, “I hope we’re not biting each other’s heads off down here, are we?” His gaze was clearly locked over on Black and Orange. Orange went quiet, clearly a bit flustered as Black returned his stare.

Cyan quickly spoke up. “Lime’s ditched Brown.”

“That does sound like Lime,” White said in a tired voice, as he pressed a hand against his helmet. “It also explains why I saw him just a minute ago by himself grabbing a bite to eat.”

“You saw Lime?” Orange sounded quite put out.

“Yes, back in the cafeteria,” White said, gesturing behind him.

“Where’s your partner, then?” Black’s voice had a cutting edge to it, his helmeted head turned towards White. White gave a strained chuckle and Cyan noticed his fingers flexed slightly.

“Dear, dear Red is refusing to come out of the cafeteria. Apparently ‘we’re all sus’ and he refuses to be in a place that doesn’t have a decent amount of room to run in.

Purple gave a sigh of exasperation and Black slowly nodded his head in reluctant agreement. “Right, I suppose that’s legit.” He sounded irritated, his head turning back towards Brown. “But if we let this slip, this will cause problems later. We need to know where everybody is!”

“I’ll stay with Brown,” White volunteered as he quickly walked over, standing beside Brown. Cyan noted that he stood slightly in front of the other man, putting himself between Black and Orange. Cyan smiled to himself. It was good that White was here — White was always so good at smoothing over situations. Whatever was going on with Brown, Cyan was sure that White could take care of it.

“There’s just no way we’re going to get Lime to behave, and Red’s certainly not about to start helping. So Brown and I may as well buddy up,” White said diplomatically.

Brown glanced up at White and Cyan noticed his hand twitch slightly. He didn’t seem comfortable standing next to the man. He almost seemed like he wanted to run but couldn’t fully convince himself to do it.

Black stared at White for a second and it was clear he was unsatisfied with the arrangement. “We all have partners this way, Black — you couldn’t possibly have a problem with it,” White said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Right. But maybe I should go with you?”

Cyan looked between Black and White, confused. Orange seemed confused as well, looking back towards the other man. “Brown could go with Orange, and I could go with you,” Black continued. “It just makes sense.”

“How does that make sense at all?” demanded Cyan. Orange was staring at Black, but it seemed he had nothing to add to this conversation.

“Because I _know_ I’m not an Imposter,” Black said through slightly gritted teeth. “And I’m willing to bet the person whose leading us isn’t one either. Therefore, I think it might be better if I stay with him and make sure he’s safe!”

“I’m flattered Black, but I’m a big boy,” White said, dry amusement in his voice. “Besides, I trust Brown.”

White said these last words with a clear smile in his voice as he turned towards the smaller Brown who stood beside him.

“Brown and I will head down and make are way into comms. I want to try and see if we can get communications fixed for long range between our helmets. It should make it easier to stay alive if we do that. Are you okay with this, Brown?”

Brown stood their mutely for a couple of second.

“I… I guess I can go with White,” he said in a quiet voice. He looked over to Cyan and though Cyan couldn’t see his eyes, he got the feeling there was still something Brown wanted to say.

“Brown, you never said who you thought the Imposter was,” Purple said, as White and Brown turned to walk away. Brown paused and Cyan was sure that all eyes were on the slender form.

“I… I think I was wrong,” Brown said quietly, shaking his head. “I don’t want to throw any unnecessary sus.”

“Sounds like a good rule to live by,” Purple said, turning his head to stare directly at Orange as White patted Brown on the shoulder. “Come on, we should be off.”

The two of them made their way past Black and Orange, heading down the hallway towards come. The four watched them go in silence as Cyan found himself wishing that Black hadn’t turned up when he did.

The moment White and Brown were out of earshot, Orange gave an outraged snort as he turned to Black. “Way to try and pawn me off, Black. What if Brown is the Imposter? I don’t want Crazy to snap and kill me.”

“He’s probably not,” Black said simply, redirecting his gaze towards Cyan. “And if he was, you’re a big boy, Orange. I’m sure you could handle him.” Without a word, he continued walking down the hall, passing Purple and Cyan as he made his way up towards weapons. Orange made a small noise of outrage, staring after him as he left.

“Look at that, Team Sus is falling apart,” Purple commented with of snort of laughter. “Was your shared desire to kill an innocent man not enough to keep you two getting along?”

Orange turned towards Purple and Cyan and Cyan could feel the heat of his glare even though he couldn’t see it. “Hey, I’m not the one who should be worried here. Seeing as how if anyone’s going to die, it will be you, Purple. Cyan’s going to make a really easy kill out of you.”

Cyan waved his hands in frustration. “Orange, how can you say that?” he protested, feeling hurt.

“Oh, shut up, Imposter,” Orange shot back, his gaze still on Purple. “You know, if you were smart, Purple, you’d ditch him the moment you had a chance.”

“Fuck off Orange,” Purple growled. Orange shook his head as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Hey, it’s your life. You want to hang out with the thing that killed our Captain, that’s your business. Up until we finally get enough people to vote and throw it out into space where it belongs.”

Cyan felt like he might genuinely cry. Orange’s words hurt, his threats driving fear into him.

“You know, if you really think he’s the Imposter, you should get back in Black’s line of sight,” Purple snapped. “Because if he kills you right now, I’m not about to report him. I might even help him hide the body… who knows?”

Orange took a step back, considering Purple. He seemed to want to say more, but Purple took a step forward, and he hastily followed after Black and left Purple and Cyan alone in the hallway. Cyan’s shoulders slumped. The exhaustion from sleeping on a linoleum floor, combined with the bloody mess he’d seen prior and Orange’s rampant accusations was bringing tears leaking forward. It didn’t take much to make Cyan cry, and right now he felt like he had a pretty good excuse.

“He is such a _bastard_.” Purple sounded beyond frustrated.

Cyan looked over at him. “He really is,” he agreed, quickly clearly his throat and hoping his tears would dry quickly. It wasn’t as though he could wipe them through his helmet. Purple looked over to him, studying him in silence for a second. The he jerked his head towards the interior of Nav.

“Let’s go get shit done in nav — I think our course needs to be corrected again.”

Cyan nodded his head quickly, finding he was unable to speak at the moment. He followed behind Purple as he walked with confident steps. As they stepped into the room, Cyan’s eyes darted about, jumping back and forth between the vents on the floor. Both remained still, assuring Cyan that they were in fact still safe.

He heard the hiss of air and looked up to see that Purple was removing his helmet. His dark brown hair clung to the sides of the helmet as he placed it down in one of the chairs, turning to look at Cyan. His beard had grown since Cyan had last seen his friend without his helmet. Spiking hair bristled about his chin in the sort of stubble that hinted at a beard, but didn’t quite qualify as one.

His hair had grown as well, stretching down to his neck. It looked messy, sweaty, and a bit greasy. He wiped it aside as he folded his arms. His blue eyes seemed to hold a deep concern to them as they fastened on Cyan.

“You holding up?”

It was a grunt of a question, Purple turning away as he asked it. Purple wasn’t comfortable with feelings, but he’d always tried to be there for Cyan when he was having a rough day of it.

It was against company policy to remove your helmet while on the Skeld unless you were eating or sleeping, but it wasn’t the first time the two have them had done it. Hastily, Cyan pulled his helmet off, wiping at his eyes with his gloved hand.

“I’m okay,” he lied, even though his insides ached in a painful fashion. “I just…” He looked towards Purple, his eyes pleading. “I’m not the Imposter, you know that, right?”

“Of course I do.” Purple dismissed his concerns with a wave of his hand. “I’m not a dumbass, Cyan.” He walked over to the ship’s seat, sitting down at it and gesturing at the one across from him. With slow steps, Cyan made his way over and sat down, hands anxiously tapping against the top of his helmet.

They sat in silence for a second, Purple seeming to try and find the words to ask. Finally, after a second, he asked in an uncharacteristically awkward voice. “So, you got a lot on your mind?”

Cyan felt some of his sadness evaporate as Purple sat there, clearly already flustered by the conversation that had barely started.

“It’s just…” Cyan let out a sigh as he wiped away another tear. “I should have saved him, you know?” He felt a painful ache in his throat as his mind turned to thoughts of Dark Green. “Dark Green, I mean. It’s all my fault he’s dead, even if I’m not the one who killed him. I should have never left him alone…”

“Cyan, that’s fucking stupid and you know it,” Purple said as he leaned back in his seat. “If anything, it’s Dark Green’s fault, he shouldn’t have ordered you out of the room.” He waved his hands in an empathic gesture. “You shouldn’t have even been paired with him in first place. He should have been with Pink, and you should’ve been with me.”

Cyan hid his flush quickly, turning to look at the wall behind him.

“I should have been with you, huh?” he said, feeling that small warm feeling grow in his stomach. It tried to push it back, but it was getting harder every time.

Maybe it was the stress of it all, or maybe it was simply because every day Cyan felt closer to his crewmate… but his feelings were getting harder to hide.

“Obviously, it only makes sense,” Purple said, sounding irritated. “I mean, he let Blue and Yellow go off together.”

“That’s because they would have rioted if he’d split them up,” countered Cyan, turning back. “I mean, everyone knows that those two are… well, very close.”

Blue and Yellow had arrived on the ship together, and ever since then the two had stayed together. At first, the assumption had been that they were related in some way, then it had been that they were friends. However, as more time had passed everyone in the ship had come to the conclusion that the two were actually an item.

“Maybe they’re the Imposters.”

Cyan looked over towards Purple in alarm, only to feel it fade away as he saw the half smile on the other man’s face. “I mean, I suppose it would make sense,” joked Cyan. “Who better to destroy a ship with than your significant other?”

Purple laughed along with Cyan, before shaking his head.

“Actually, I think I’d hate that,” he said, leaning back in the chair he sat in and sighing. “Imagine the stress of it. Your partner always being at risk. You’d want to stow them away somewhere safe, you know? Get them out of sight.”

“Speaking of partners, what the hell was that with Black?” Cyan said, feeling an amused smile rise to his face. Purple let out a laugh.

“Twenty credits says he’s got a crush. Honestly — ‘ _I know I’m not the Imposter so I should go with you’_ … what fucking rubbish.”

“Maybe he’s just sick of being with Orange. I mean, Black’s toxic, but he’s not nearly as bad as Orange.” Cyan pointed out, before pausing.

“So, who do you think it is?”

The question was out of Cyan’s mouth before he could stop it. He couldn’t help but ask it. The horrible thing was buried inside of him, aching to find a way out as it squirmed about in his guts. One of them was guilty beyond a doubt. He wasn’t sure who, but he knew it had to be one of them. At _least_ one of them.

Purple glanced over at Cyan, before shaking his head. “Fuck, I don’t know. I’m no good at reading people.” He paused then, before adding with a scowl. “Though if you ask me, Orange is a little bit too eager to see bloodshed. That sicko was frothing at the bit to see someone get thrown off the ship last time.”

“I did notice that,” Cyan admitted, before he asked in a hesitant voice. “There’s no way it’s Brown, right?” Purple shrugged his shoulders.

“Honestly, if it’s him, then there’s two of them on board. Brown’s a coward, there’s no way he’d be willing to kill anyone himself.”

“I suppose you're right, though you could word it more nicely,” Cyan said, forcing himself to frown at Purple. Purple looked over towards him, cocking his head with a grin.

“Are you really going to defend Brown? The guys a nervous wreck. He’s the sort of guy who showers with his eyes open because he’s afraid of what might happen if he lets them close.”

“Okay, dick, I get it. But look, I’m sure he has a perfectly good reason for it,” Cyan replied, trying not to laugh.

“ _Does_ he?” Purple said, raising an eyebrow. “Because sometimes I get the feeling he’d be happier in a bunker than around people.”

Cyan laughed, rubbing his head, and Purple’s smile grew.

“Getting out of your funk a little bit?”

Cyan gave a shrug of his shoulders as he felt the icy tendrils of guilt and fear held at bay by the warmth in the room.

“A bit,” he said, before anxiously drumming his fingers on his helmet.

“Purple, if it is Orange… what are we going to do?” Purple gave a shrug of his shoulders.

“Throw him out the airlock probably.”

Cyan grimaced. “But, what if we’re wrong?”

“Look, no one’s going to get thrown out unless another body turns up,” Purple reasoned, and Cyan took in a slight breath, nodding his head. “Honestly, best case scenario is we restart the ship, get to HQ, and just get scanned. They’ve got stuff there that can tell us whether or not someone is an Imposter — then it’s out of our hands.”

Cyan felt a wave of relief, accompanied by another wave of affection. “So, what are you doing after we get back?” he said, trying not to sound too prying.

“You mean _if_ we get back,” Purple pointed out and Cyan waved an annoyed hand at him.

“Now look who’s being a downer!” he said, and Purple laughed.

“Fine, fine, fair point.” He tilted his head back, clearly thinking as his foot tapped against the floor. “I’m going to get myself a damn good meal,” he said finally, rubbing his stomach. “The ship food is crap.”

Cyan laughed, trying not to sound too anxious as he did. He had a question for Purple. Actually, if he was being honest, he’d had a question for Purple for a very long time.

Purple had been his friend over the past months he’d been on this ship. His confidant, his companion. It had been, platonic, but not by his choice. When it was like this, just them alone together, he ached for something more.

He’d close his eyes and he’d picture walking over, pictured pressing his lips into the other’s. He’d hoped when Yellow and Blue had been outed, it would have given him a sign as to how safe confessing his feelings would be, but thus far he had been unable to gauge what Purple’s feelings were on it.

However, he was running out of excuses to hesitate. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his nerves, but before he could ask the question that was weighing on his mind, Purple spoke.

“So, what are you doing, Cyan?”

Cyan looked over towards him, responding in a mess of tripped over words.

“Oh, nothing special.”

He could have hit himself as he saw Purple raise an eyebrow. “Really? You’ve got no one waiting for you to come home?” Cyan gave a meek shrug of his shoulders.

“I mean, I’ve got my mom, but she’s off in a different quadrant of space. I’d honestly be shocked if she showed up.”

Purple stretched out his arms and Cyan decided it was now or never.

“Hey, Purple? What sort of food do you like?”

Purple paused mid-stretch, giving Cyan a weird look.

“Why do you ask?” he sounded genuinely taken off guard, as though the question had really thrown him.

“It’s just… you complain about the food in the cafeteria all the time, but you never say what you actually like,” Cyan said quickly, feeling the word-vomit gush from his mouth. “I was just wondering where you’d want to go when we land, because honestly I could probably use a bite, too. Once we’re back in civilization, there’s all sorts of food we could hit up. Just curious, is all!”

Cyan felt as though he’d just rammed his foot down his throat as he hastily fumbled for his helmet.

That was just embarrassing, and he wanted his helmet over his features as soon as possible. As he was scrabbling with it though, he heard a good-humored chuckle from Purple.

“Damn Cyan, slow down. You’re starting to sound like Brown,” he picked up his helmet, shifting it from hand to hand. “Honestly, I’m down for pretty much anything that isn’t protein mush at this point, but I was thinking steakhouse.”

“That does sound good,” Cyan paused, before finally just forcing the question out of his mouth. “So, would you like to have dinner with me when we get back? It can be my treat.”

Purple gave a causal shrug of his shoulders.

“Sounds good to me,” He slid the helmet back over his head, glancing over at Cyan. “But you really don’t have to pay, you know.”

Cyan hastily pulled his helmet down, feeling a swell of relief in his stomach. As he pulled his helmet down, the lights suddenly died. He let out a small shriek, looking about himself. His mind was overwhelmed with panic as he remembered what had happened the last time the lights had gone out. A hand came down on his shoulder and he turned, seeing Purple standing beside him.

“Someone’s cut the lights!” Cyan said, knowing his words were unnecessary.

“Yep, just take it easy,” Purple said in a comforting voice. “There’s two of us.”

“Right, right…” Cyan said, feeling his breathing steady out slightly. “Should we go and…?” But before he could finish the sentence, the lights slowly began to fade back into life.

“Well that was quick.” Purple said as their surroundings were once more illuminated. Cyan nodded his head, feeling his heart trying to escape his chest. He and Purple stood in silent, before he looked over towards Purple.

“We should be doing our tasks, shouldn’t we…?”

“Preferably before the body count rises,” Purple agreed as he jerked his head from out of the room. “Come on, let’s get back at it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always nice to have a shoulder to cry on. Stay tuned for who gets victimized next...


	4. It's always electrical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brown's got some sus that he really wishes he'd shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ready for the reveal of the first Imposter? Also for some more smut? Hopefully you answered yes cause that's what you're about to get.
> 
> Small sidenote, sorry it takes me so long to answer comments. I really love reading them and I also love all of your sus. You come up with ideas that never even occurred to me, and its super fun to see it from your perspectives. I'm really glad a lot of you are enjoying the mystery of it all!

Brown was an anxious man, of this there could be no doubt. He was the sort of person who still slept with a light on in his room. He rarely went out in public, avoiding large groups like the plague and his only interactions tended to be online and when it was called for, with his coworkers. Needless to say, Brown’s anxiety made it… difficult to communicate.

Back on earth he’d had a doctor, a therapist who had told him many truths about himself that had been hard to hear. When he’d come to the man, Brown had been a wreck. He was anxiety ridden and full of a deep paranoia of all things around him. He couldn’t go outside and he couldn’t talk to people. He lacked any form of social grace, choosing to spend most of his walking hours away from his job in his house. When he was forced to wander outside, the stress of the day would normally prove to be so much, that Brown could hardly eat when he’d return.

His therapist had heard him out. Brown could still see the greenery that doubted the room. Plants and dark wooden walls that were meant to give the room a safe feeling. Brown had talked for hours in there, day after day as he’d expressed his woes to the therapist.

It had been a long time ago, but Brown could still remember how warm his smile had been. He’d given Brown the tools to help himself, giving him coping techniques, given him medicine to blot out the worst of it. He had said something though that Brown had never been able to abide by. With his condition, it was imperative that Brown kept himself in safe situations.

But Mira was hiring, and Brown had had dreams. Brown had wanted to go to space, Brown and wanted to be an astronaut. Brown had wanted to see the stars.

As it turned out, Brown may have not been the most stable human, but he when it came to extended isolation he was a pro. The long trips into the endless void which, for some, were intolerable and soul crushing were an absolute breeze. He often joked with his friends, all of who were online, that because he’d grown up with such bad anxiety the vacuum of space meant nothing to him.

In reality, Brown managed to keep his demons at bay with the pills provided to him by his therapist. The therapist who had looked him in the eye and asked him with a concerned look on her face, if he really thought he was ready to go into space.

Brown had been ready, and for the first two years working on his original crew, he’d been fine. Brown was not social, but he was handy. He was smart. Though the crew had never been what he’d have called friends, they were on good terms with him. He was the quiet one who you assigned heavy workloads to with the expectation of good results. Brown had loved it.

But then came the Imposters. It was luck of the draw, a flip of the coin as to whether or not you’d manage to catch them. The shapeshifters were sneaky and deadly at what they did. Their espionage had left his ship shattered. False blame assigned to innocent people, lives lost not just to the aliens on board but to their own hasty judgments. They had pulled through, but it had been by the skin of their teeth.

With that, Brown had been reassigned. He drifted through several ships, Mira putting him where they needed him most. All the while, Brown’s anxiety began to drift back. He’d held it at bay for so long, but now… now it returned with a fire that not even medication could fully quench.

Where he’d been reserved and a little anxious before, he’d become twitchy, paranoid. A real shut in. Everyone was an Imposter his mind told him… but he knew he could not trust his mind. Not that part of it at least.

But then there was the logical side of things. After all, Brown was no fool. For all of his many hurdles, he’d always had a good head on him, and he knew there was at least one side of his brain he could trust.

That side of his mind assured him that last night, when he’d been awake staring up at the very stars that had lured him into the abyss of space, he’d watched the lights flicker off.

In a panic, he’d frozen , eyes peering from behind his glass visor as he’d searched the area. Then the lights had come back and for the first time since he sat down, he turned his head to stare at the gathering of people and realized there were less.

He wished he’d paid more attention, wished he hadn’t hidden under the table when the lights were out. It was silly to hide, hiding didn’t matter. The Imposters could see just fine in the dark, Brown knew this. Yet he’d hidden anyways and by the time he’d realized something was wrong, the lights had flickered again, and he’d been left with little time to count.

Still, he had come to one conclusion. Those who had been missing from the cafeteria had returned to it after the lights went out the second time. Everyone, but Pink.

Because Pink was dead.

They hadn’t found the body yet, but that meant nothing. Brown was aware of Pink’s history. He’d killed imposters before, he was one of the few crewmates who carried weapons with him on board. Under his pillow, Pink kept a pistol and a box of ammunition. He wasn’t supposed to have them, but the captain never made a big deal out of it.

Pink didn’t know that Brown knew about his history. They had never been close, the two of them adverse to social interactions of any sort. Still, Brown knew that Pink knew he was on medication. Pink had been close to the captain after all and all of Brown’s quirks were covered in his employee charts that Mira had sent Dark Green.

Pink had been a warrior, a hunter with more than a few kills. The Imposters must have known that – they must have had that information! And it would have to be Imposters as well, there had to be two. There was simply no way that One Imposter would have been able to take Pink down by themselves.

And here it came, the hunch that Brown prayed that he was wrong about. Pink didn’t talk to many people about his personal life. Sure, maybe the Imposters just go nervous at the size of the man, but somehow Brown doubted it.

Pink may have been a private man, but there were a couple people who did know his history. Brown knew it, because he’d overheard things he wasn’t supposed to and looked in places he shouldn’t have. Dark Green knew it because Pink respected him, and White… he knew it because he knew everything about everyone on the ship. That was it, just those three. It was a funny thing really, because Brown knew he wasn’t the Imposter and Dark Green was dead. So if his calculations were correct…

“You okay Brown?”

Brown started, glancing over towards White who was in the process of messing with the metal output box on the wall. “Because I’ll level with you, you’ve been acting out of sorts for several days now and I know you’re not sus, but I’m gonna level with you and say you do look a bit sus.” He placed the metal face plate back on the box and straightened up, looking over towards Brown. “You haven’t run out of medication have you?”

Right, White knew about that. White knew about everything, he had been Dark Green’s right-hand man after all.

Brown anxiously shook his head, trying not to come off as to suspicious as he tried to gauge White through the man’s helmet. The man seemed… normal. Friendly even. Then again, the Imposters Brown had met prior had also been quite good at acting. Still, this was White they were talking about… and if it had been any other day Brown would have scoffed at the thought of the man being anything other than a crewmate.

Still…

“I’m fine,” Brown assured him, trying to keep the nervous tremble out of his voice. White folded his arms and cocked his head to the side. “My meds may be downstairs though.” He admitted, feeling his mind pulse out a shriek of a warning. _He doesn’t need to know that! Don’t give him that information!_

White let out a heavy sigh and gave a nod. “I was afraid of that.” He paused, shifting his weight slightly before he asked in a careful voice. “How’s the paranoia?”

Brown gave a helpless shrug. “Oh, you know, just have the feeling that I might get killed at any point in time.”

White gave a sympathetic chuckle. “Right, of course. No doubt this situation is not helping.” Brown nodded his head, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He really wanted to trust White, he wanted to believe the man meant no harm. White paused for a second, tapping his foot against the ground as though thinking hard.

“Brown, who else knows you’re medicated?”

Brown laughed as he shook his head. “Well, it’s not something I spread around.” He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, a subliminal warning. A trap, this was a trap his mind said. Yet no matter how hard he thought on it, he couldn’t seem to figure out how this could possibly be the case.

“Right.” White said, his voice decisive. “Brown, promise me you’ll keep it to yourself.” Brown stared up at the visor, trying to peer beneath the tinted glass.

“Why?” He asked, even though he already knew what White’s answer would be. What it had to be.

“Because if they know you’re on meds… well, they might not take what you say as seriously.” White said, clearly trying to word the sentence carefully. “It’s not that I don’t trust you.” He added quickly, holding up his hands. “It’s just that… well Brown it’s not really a good look. Running about and telling people that you know who the Imposter is. It makes you look just a bit…”

He trailed off and made a helpless gesture towards Brown. “Insane?” Brown said, flinching at his own words. He hated those words, insane. He wasn’t crazy and unlike Red he didn’t shout when there was no reason. He had a theory, but the problem was that the person the theory applied to was standing in front of him.

“Well, that’s a bit of a harsh way of putting it. But yes, I don’t want them thinking you’re crazy Brown.” White said, worry weighing down his tone. He sounded genuinely concerned. Maybe he was, Brown had no idea.

This was why he’d wanted to talk to Cyan. Cyan may have been more passive, but he was sure he wasn’t an Imposter. He was also more reasonable than _some_ and furthermore, as he’d been crouched beneath the table in the cafeteria Brown had used him as a focal point to keep himself calm. He knew Cyan hadn’t moved throughout the night.

It was as these images played through his head, that with little warning the lights gave out and Brown and White were plunged into the dark.

Brown gave a cry, instinctually reaching out in the dark to grip for White. He didn’t want to be alone in the dark, not again. He felt White’s hand wrap about his as the two stepped closer together. “Shit, the lights,” White muttered. “We should go turn them back on.”

Brown stiffened. “I don’t want to.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He didn’t want to go in electrical. It was isolated, somehow both to noisy and to quiet at the same time. The looming machines blocking off the view from the outside world. It was the perfect place to get murdered, so many dark shadows for an Imposter to hide in.

“Brown, I can’t leave you alone!” White sounded slightly pleading. “We have to stick together, you know this.” Brown knew he was right, but he still really didn’t want to go with White. Yet even as he thought this, he felt himself give, allowing himself to be guided down the dark corridors.

“Someone else will probably deal with it…” Brown suggested feebly tugging against White’s grip.

“Who exactly do you think would do that?” White demanded, sounding skeptical. “Not to speak ill of our crewmates, but I doubt that Red’s going to be keen on helping. Black and Orange are all the way on the other side of the ship, I have no idea where Pink has gotten off to and Yellow and Blue were fussing about the upper engine. As for Purple and Cyan, I’m pretty sure their still over near O2. Brown we’re the closest.”

“Maybe Lime will deal with it?” Brown asked meekly.

White made a choking noise in the back of his throat. “You must be joking.”

He had a good point, but Brown found he could not bring himself to trust the man. Still, the firm grip on his hand assured him that he didn’t have a choice as White dragged him forward.

Before he knew it, he was inside of electrical and he heard White flipping switches. The lights around them flickered and then came back on. Brown blinked turning his head to stare around the room. It was dominated by grey boxes with warning stickers and sloppy wires strewn about the ground. As he turned his head, Brown gave a yelp as a figure way at the back was illuminated in the lights. For a second he was startled, before he realized who it was.

“Oh god damn it Brown, what do you want?” Lime demanded, looking up from where he was leaning.

“Lime, what are you doing in electrical?” Brown asked, staring at his crewmate with disbelief. “Well, I’m not fixing that mess,” Lime said matter of factly, pointing at a mish mash of wires that had been ripped and laid sparking on the floor.

White stepped out from behind electrical. Brown turned to look at the visor. Now that the emergency lights were off, White’s face was once more hidden. Still, as the helmeted head gazed in Lime’s direction Brown could feel the other man taking in the scene.

“Lime, did you just get here?” He asked, his voice pleasant and calm. He spoke with that gentle cadence that normally put even the twitchiest of crewmates at ease.

“Oh, hey White.” Lime raised a hand, waving to White as he straightened up. “Nah, I’ve been in here ever since you saw me in caf. I didn’t want Black seeing me and pointing fingers, you know.”

White folded his arms and tilted his head. “And you didn’t feel the need to get the lights?”

“Oh, nah, why should I? Makes me harder to see, you know,” Lime said with a causal shrug of his shoulders. “Not that I’m that worried. If there really are Imposters on board this ship – which I doubt, they’re doing a shit job. I mean, I’ve been alone for _so long_ and nothing bad has happened so…”

White stood there for a second and Brown wondered if he was about to lose his shit. He’d never seen White so quiet before. To be fair, Brown could hardly blame him if he lost it at Lime. Lime was notorious for being lazy and the only one who ever managed to keep him on task was Dark Green or Pink. Even White with all his charms wasn’t capable of keeping the man in line.

Brown almost expected him to shout, yet, to his surprise White said nothing. He just stood there in silence, his head cocked to the side as though observing Lime for the first time.

Then came the whooshing noise. Brown whipped around, already running for the door as it closed. He was far too late though, and he heard the grinding of machinery as the thing stalled out, trapping them inside. “No, no!” He slammed his fists on the door in panic, before turning around. Lime was no longer casually leaning against the back wall. He was now on his feet, staring at the door in disbelief.

“Did… did it just lock?” He demanded, pushing past White towards the door. Brown backed away from him, backed away from the door. His listened, but he didn’t hear the noise of a vent moving. To Brown this meant only one thing. He looked towards White who still seemed eerily calm.

“No point in panicking,” White said in a voice that Brown found far too casual. “That doors going to be locked until the system finds a workaround and unjams it.” Lime spun around, throwing his hands up into the air. “What the hell? What could have caused this?”

“Sabotage.” Brown didn’t bother letting White speak. “Someone sabotaged it.” He spoke as he stared at White. If White had locked them in there, then there was no reason for him to pretend not to suspect the man.

“Oh right, because there’s an Imposter on the loose.” Snapped Lime as he spun to face at Brown. Though his words were mocking, his voice had become slightly more high pitched than it normally was.

“Lime what else could it possibly be?!” Demanded Brown, his gaze leaving White as he stared at his peer. To be frank, he was aghast. How Lime was mentally choosing to explain this away made Brown sincerely wonder what other things in his life he’d managed to sweep under the rug.

“The door probably just… just glitched!” Lime said, frustration radiating out of his voice as stomped a foot against the ground. “There’s no way there’s actually an Imposter on board.”

**_Bang_ **

The noise was so sudden that it made Brown stagger backwards, his eyes returning to White in a flash. A gun was idly held in the man’s left hand, the muzzle aiming at Lime. For a second, Brown thought Lime must be dead but then he saw him stagger back, letting out a howl of pain as he clutched at his bloodied knee. The bullet had hit him in the back of the leg, blowing out his kneecap. Or at least, that was Brown’s assumption as he stared at the bloody mess.

**“Lime, have I ever told you you’re a bit irritating?”**

White’s voice was… wrong. It was very clearly still him, but there was a guttural quality to it along with a powerful thrum it had lacked before. If he’d been pushed to name it, Brown might have said it was almost demonic.

Brown felt his legs began to shake as he watched White’s suit move in an unnatural fashion. It throbbed as though there were eels struggling underneath it. Moving with a life of its own that assured him that there was far more than just human skin hiding beneath it.

As he watched in silent horror, it tore open, a vicious sneer of a mouth appearing across the middle and stretching out to either side. He had been right.

Oh god, oh no, he had been right.

Lime was still clutching his knee, blood gushing out from it and staining suit. The atmosphere had become heavy, though Lime was silent. He was staring at White, apparently to shocked to speak. Brown didn’t blame him, he to had lost his voice.

White sighed, as he tucked the gun away into a pocket hidden on the suit. Suit, was that the right word? Brown pondered this question as he stared at the carved mouth that split his coworkers middle. Was it all just… shaped flesh? Or was there actually some form of spacesuit that covered the Imposter. His mind reeled as he watched White reach up, pulling the helmet from his head.

The hiss of air as he removed it assured Brown that, to some degree the suit itself was real. White pulled up and the head covering popped off, wisps of blond hair falling from inside of it. He dropped it to the floor and Brown watched it roll away, coming to rest in a corner of electrical. White cracked his neck as the mouth on his chest smiled.

He still looked so human, that was as long as you didn’t look down. His bright green eyes glimmered in the sullen light of electrical. His hair, a wave of blond that descended down in curls about his head bounced slightly as he looked over to Brown. A half smile played on his lips as he asked, his voice suddenly coy.

**“Tell me Brown, did you know?”**

Brown considered lying but realized even in his panicked mental haze how little good that would do him. That cat was out of the bag, so to say. He gulped and spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “I had sus…”

Lime was still staring at White and he slowly raised a finger to point at him. It trembled as the man spoke. “You shot me…” He said weakly, sounding as though he could hardly believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

**“I did.”**

White turned his green eyes towards the man on the ground. Lime’s left hand was still firmly clasped over the injury, right hand pointing in an accusatory motion at White.

**“But honestly Lime, you’ve had it coming for a while.”**

White continued, shaking his head in disapproval.

**“What with your wandering off on your own. Honestly, the reason you weren’t killed before was because you really were making it to easy.”**

“You’re an Imposter.” It honestly sounded like saying those words hurt Lime more than the bloodied hole in his knee. Brown couldn’t see the other man’s face, but he was sure it was twisted into a sour expression.

**“I am.”**

White’s human face stayed fairly neutral, but the grinning mouth of sharp teeth on his stomach curled into a horrible smile. Lime let out a small whimper as White once more reached into the fabric of his suit, the seams giving way and allowing his hand to move inside. That’s how he was doing it, Brown realized. There were ripped out seams. White must be storing the weapons inside of himself. Inside of that mangled, ever shifting body.

He didn’t linger to long on this medical marvel as White once more withdrew his gun. He swapped it from hand to hand, before taking aim at Lime again. Lime cowered, but White didn’t fire his weapon. Instead, he spoke, his voice calm.

**“Take off your helmet Lime.”**

Lime stared at him, before looking over towards Brown. “Are you one as well?” He asked and Brown frantically shook his head. His eyes were currently scouring the room for any sort of weapon, even as his mind assured him he was far too paralyzed to even try and make something like that work.

Even through this though, he managed to choke out a sentence at Lime. “Lime, he asked me if I knew it was him! Of course I’m not one of them…”

Lime seemed confused, but this didn’t last long. There was another shot and Lime let out a scream, falling back as his green suit was doused with another spout of blood. White had put another hole in Lime’s knee, this one right above the first.

**“You’re so bad at following directions Lime.”** White said with a theatrical sounding sigh. **“I really wish you’d listen to me, just this once.”**

Lime’s bloodied gloves hastily went into the air in a sign of surrender. “Okay, okay! The helmet’s coming off.” He said through frantic gasps of pain. “Just… come on White. Please don’t kill me. We’re all friends here.” With shaking hands he reached up and Brown heard the hiss of air as he pulled his helmet free, hastily flinging it to the ground. It rolled across the ground as Brown watched Lime’s face emerge.

He was a pale man, with dark blue eyes and a mop of blond hair. Normally he had a faint color to his cheeks, but all of that seemed to have been drained by the holes that had been shot through his knee.

“Look.” Lime said, his voice a gasp. “White, I’m sorry. But listen to me, you don’t have to kill me. I’m not going to tell anyone anything okay?”

White tilted his head to the side, gun still firmly grasped in his left hand.

**“Is that so?”** He asked, sounding amused.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut, I’ll team up with you! Honestly, you were always the easiest to get along with anyways.”

**“And how are you going to explain the holes in your legs?”**

White said, titling his head to the side. Brown watched as Lime sweated, frenzied eyes glancing about electrical till they fell on Brown. “We can frame him!” Lime’s trembling finger pointed at Brown.

“What!” Brown was genuinely taken aback as he stared at Lime. The other man did not return his glance, frantic eyes fixed on White. “We can blame him! Everyone’s already sus of him anyways!”

“Lime…” Brown stared at the other man, pain twisting in his stomach. He supposed he couldn’t say that he was surprised by the others betrayal, but it still hurt. White put a finger under his chin.

**“An interesting proposition I suppose…”**

He said, nodding his head.

**“There’s one problem with it though.”**

Lime’s throat bobbed nervously as he gave an anxious laugh.

“Oh yah, what’s that?”

The gun fired again, this time hitting Lime’s previously uninjured knee.

**“I’m more fond of Brown than you.”**

As Brown writhed on the floor, White’s head turned, gaze finding the cowering Brown.

**“Brown.”**

White’s voice was cloyingly sweet as his green eyes cemented Brown to where he stood.

**“Lime’s having a bit of trouble, do you mind helping him out of his spacesuit?”**

Brown gulped as he felt his head twitch in the beginnings of a no.

**“Brown…”**

White said in a chastising voice, his gun turning towards Brown. The muzzle was aimed at his shoulder and Brown tensed as he stared at White’s finger that sat loosely on the trigger. At the very least, it was clear to Brown that White wasn’t eager to kill either of them.

At least not yet.

How long would the doors stay locked? Brown wondered as he made his way over to Lime, dropping down to his knees. Lime stared at him, shaking his head frantically.

“Just, do what he says. Maybe the doors will open, and we can make a run for it.” Brown whispered to him, his hands shaking so bad that he wondered if he was actually going to be able to get the damn suit off.

“Get your hands off me!” Lime snarled, pushing Brown back. Brown was frozen, unsure what to do as Lime stared him down with wide and angry eyes. “I don’t know what you two sickos’ are planning to do with me, but I’m not just going to sit still and let it happen!”

“I’m not…” Brown protested miserably, feeling heat in his cheeks. That wasn’t what was happening here. Truthfully, Brown felt as though Lime had no grounds to throw such accusations at him. After all, Lime had just attempted to sell him out to White in exchanged for his own life.

**_Bang!_ **

How many times could White fire that gun until it finally attracted some sort of attention?

Brown jerked back as he watched Lime fall backwards, clutching his right shoulder. He’d felt the bullet, whizzing over his spacesuit as it had continued its trajectory towards his unfortunate crewmate, missing him by mere inches. His heartbeat was pounding in his chest as Lime clutched his shoulder, whimpering in barely restrained pain.

**“Do you need me to hold him down Brown?”**

White asked in a helpful voice. Lime clutched at his bloodied shoulder, tears streaming from his eyes as Brown frantically shook his head turning to glance behind at White. “No, I’m fine! We’re both fine! You just… you stay over there.”

Brown turned back to Lime, hissing quietly as he crawled over to his crumpled form.

“Lime… please… I really don’t want to hurt you.”

Even as he said the words, Brown acknowledged in the back of his mind that it didn’t matter what he wanted. But Brown was too scared to fully consider this. His heart had begun beating so fast that it was painful, and he could feel sweat pouring down his body. He was going to have a panic attack, he was sure of it. His vision was getting hazy and he felt sick.

Lime flinched but didn’t fight him as he reached over, hands finding the buckle that held the oxygen pack in place. The spacesuit he wore, that they all wore were not recommended for any actual spacewalking. It was still quite bulky, but unlike a EVA, they had been modified for continuous wear about the ship.

Because of this, these modified spacesuits were not quite as hard to put on as EVA suit was. In fact, they were less spacesuits and more a combination of modified hazmat suits and divers gear, all the way down to the tank of emergency oxygen on their back.

Carefully, Brown undid the oxygen tanks straps, allowing it to fall to the floor with a noisy clank. He almost expected White to chastise him, but the man did not. Instead, he remained silent as Brown reached behind Lime, unwillingly tugging at the zipper that held the whole suit in place. He felt Lime shiver as his sweaty pale skin was exposed.

He flinched worse when Brown pulled forward, trying to guide his arm out of one of his sleeves. He was going slow, trying to make the process take a while. The more time he took, the more time they could stall. He had a feeling that White knew what he was up to, but before the Imposter could say anything, Lime snapped.

“Goddamn it, just let me!” He shoved Brown away, ripping the suit off him. His moaned in pain as the bloody thing peeled off of his brutalized leg, smears of wet plastering the inside of it as he through it to the ground. “There you fucking freak, are you happy?”

His words were aimed at White and the grew quieter at the end as he seemed to once again remember his situation. The gun had been put away and now White was playing with a long and sharp knife.

**“No Lime, I’m not. Would you like to know why?”**

Lime shrank as White casually approached the pair on the ground, his face still uncannily human even as his body shifted in ways that no humans ever could.

**“You left Brown alone.”** White stopped beside Brown, resting a hand on his helmet. **“It’s not nice to abandon your crewmates, not when there’s an Imposter on the loose.”** White reached down and for a second, Brown was sure he was going to snap his neck. Instead though, he heard the hiss of air as White undid his helmet, lifting it up from his head.

**“Look at how panicked he is, how scared.”** White tossed Brown’s helmet to the ground, a squirming tentacle sliding in a slick fashion underneath his chin and raising his head. **“And what do you know, he was right to be afraid, because I was the one who found him.”** White clicked his tongue as the tentacle slithered up Brown’s face, the tip caressing up the side of his ear.

**“You owe Brown and apology Lime.”** Brown shivered as the tentacle retracted and a rough hand pushed him forward. He tumbled, stopping himself just before he rammed directly into Lime.

**“Not just for abandoning him, but them trying to sell him out. What sort of crewmate does that?”**

The mock offence in White’s voice was not particularly well done Brown thought as he pushed himself up, beginning to speak in a shaky voice as he frantically shook his head. “I don’t want an apology. It’s fine… water under the bridge.” He mumbled as he felt Lime’s accusing eyes fasten to him. Their blue cores were as cold as glacial ice as the man stared at him with fury, as though somehow this was all Brown’s fault.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do, kiss and make up?” Lime demanded, some of his usual flippancy returning to his voice as he stared over Brown’s shoulder, his gaze no doubt locked on White. _Please stop_ , Brown mentally begged the other man. _You’re going to give him ideas…_

Brown turned to see White crouch down behind them, head cocked to the side as he flipped his knife between his fingers. **“Hmmm, that’s an idea isn’t it?”**

“I’m not your fucking doll!” Lime snapped as he shoved Brown, who was promptly fell onto his back. His head as only saved from the floor by a hand that slid underneath it at the last minute, raising the dome up and away from the metal flooring. As he was shoved forward back onto Lime, White came with him. The man extended a hand and shoving Lime down to the floor as Brown became pinned between the two. A terrified filling in the world’s worst sandwich.

White weight rested atop of Brown’s back, preventing him from moving away from the now pinned Lime. As he felt the others spacesuit rest against him he could feel White’s body… moving. Things writhed about inside of that sealed off suit, prodding and poking at the fabric as they touched against Brown’s pinned form.

So the spacesuit wasn’t part of the body then Brown thought, feeling his skin crawling. It felt as though snakes were slithering across the outside of his suit, and the sensation made him all the more queasy.

Beneath him, he watched as White ran his knife down Lime’s face, a bloody streak forming as the Imposter spoke in a quiet voice.

**“You’re quite a nice-looking man Lime, but I can fix that if you want.”**

Brown was shoved down, his face next to Lime’s as the Imposter leaned over to the two of them. Lime stared behind Brown at White for a second, before reaching up and grasping the other man’s head.

The kiss was not gentle. Lime mashed their lips together, biting down on his lower one in a painful fashion. It was clear he was keen on expressing his hatred for this situation and Brown was at the moment, his only outlet. Brown struggled to get away, but White was still on top of him, holding him down. He was stuck in the middle of this feud and he hated it.

The smallest, sickest of feelings erupted in the back of Brown’s mind as he gave up on his attempts to escape. He didn’t mind kissing Lime he supposed, it had been a while since he’d kissed anybody. Brown was so paranoid that human contact was hard for him. It didn’t mean he didn’t want it when he was all be himself at night though.

Of course, this wasn’t how he would have chosen to get it, but he couldn’t help but relaxing a bit into Lime as the other man deepened the kiss.

His tongue slid into Brown’s mouth and he tasted blood. His blood from where Lime had bit him. White’s hand had loosened somewhat and now rubbed against his back in an almost soothing fashion. His fingers crept upwards, tousling through Brown’s sweaty auburn hair. It was almost relaxing. Or maybe it was simply that Brown’s mind had finally broken, and he was ready to go along with just about anything around now. As he felt himself pressing down slightly into Lime’s lips, as the logical side of his mind assured him that the second option was the most likely.

He almost allowed himself to get lost in the kiss, but with a sudden rush he was shoved away as it was broken.

Lime wiped his mouth and though his face was twisted with fear, it also wore a scowl. “There, I apologized. You happy Brown?”

“Dude no.” Brown said, even though he felt a cringe of guilt somewhere inside. Regardless, his words were overshadowed as White spoke.

**“Awww, that was sweet to watch. I do so love it when we can all just get along.”**

White’s weight shifted slightly, before he added.

**“But know we need to address that fact that every time I give you an order you blatantly disobey it. I mean really Lime, you were supposed to be fixing the wiring.”**

“You’re the one who broke the wiring! Why are you giving me this shit?” Demanded Lime, sounding genuinely confused. He was staring at White again and Brown wondered if White’s human face was still in place, or if it had split into a more natural form.

He felt a great force as he, along with Lime were yanked up from the ground. They were marched forward, White’s hands holding their shoulders and White’s tentacles swarming out behind them like some sort of biblical plague.

There was just so much of him, and Brown wondered how White had ever looked human to him. He felt himself shoved and he hit the sharp nobs and dials, letting out a pained oof. Lime was worse off. He’d already been shot four times and he didn’t have the luxury of his spacesuit to protect him as White forced him up against the outlet full of loose wires.

Lime struggled frantically as Brown was held beside the two, pinned by tentacles that slithered out from cracks in White’s suit. White reached over Lime, disregarding his struggle as he grabbed the wires that dangled from the ravaged metal box beyond. He pulled them over Lime’s shoulders, looping them about the crewmates neck. Brown closed his eyes and covered his ears as Lime began to choke.

**“See, if you’d fixed them than I wouldn’t be able to do this.”**

White explained as Brown heard Lime’s wheezing growing worse. The other man tried to speak, but it was clear that the wires around his throat were leaving no room for that sort of thing.

**“That’s better, your nice and quiet now.”** White commented in an almost dreamy voice. Brown felt the tug of the tentacles and he could feel those inhuman eyes finding him in the partial dark of the electric room.

**“Come over here Brown.”**

The tentacles unwound from him and Brown was left free against the electric towers. For a second, the urge to run was overwhelming even though his mind acknowledged he had nowhere to go.

The sound of Lime choking filled his ears and all he wanted was to be far far away from this situation. Yet he couldn’t seem to will himself to move. He was trapped, both by the knowledge that there was no escape, and his own crushing anxiety. White was a predator and Brown’s mind assured him if he ran, he’d trigger some sort of kill instinct in the Imposter.

So instead of running, he opened tear stained eyes, looking helplessly over at Lime. His hand went to his mouth as he stared into the red veined eyes of the choking man. The wires were wrapped so tightly around Lime’s neck that foam was beginning to seep from the corners of his mouth. Red and angry marks were blossoming out from where they wrapped, the multicolored plastic no doubt leaving bruising.

“Y… you’re killing him,” Brown said, his voice a panicked flutter. “Stop…”

**“You want me to stop?”**

White questioned, and Brown saw the wires slacken as he asked the words. Brown mutely nodded his head and the wires slackened more. Lime gasped in breaths, his body shaking as he hastily replenished the air in his body.

**“Okay, I’ll stop. But I need two things.”** White said, his human face seeming to twitch ever so slightly as the mouth that split his chest grinned.

**“I need Lime to keep his mouth shut and I need you to come over here and play. Is that reasonable? Lime? Brown?”**

Lime frantically nodded his head, his fight apparently long gone now that he was on the verge of choking. His bulging eyes stared Brown down and even though Brown wanted to say no, he knew he didn’t have a choice. “Okay… just let him breathe.” Brown said, his legs shaking as he stepped forward.

**“All right then.”**

White’s grip slackened and the wires fell loose, dangling like multicolored strings around Lime’s bruised neck. Lime was coughing, blood speckling the floor beneath him as White forced him down to his knees. He offered no resistance as he sunk, even as Brown heard him let out a sharp inhale of breath as his bloodied knees met the ground.

How Lime had managed not to scream yet was a mystery to him. The man’s fear glazed eyes though did not change as he obediently did as White demanded, his mouth tightly sealed shut.

White let out a soft exhale and the tentacles began to writhe, more pulling from between the cracks in the spacesuit and arranging themselves about White’s legs. They were, disturbing to look at. They did not look like the tentacles of a squid or an octopus. They almost looked like flayed flesh from many beings, stitched into one throbbing and bloody looking mass. It seemed as though White should be in pain, but Brown knew better. The only ones in pain here were him and Lime.

White looked to him and Brown had to stop himself from screaming as the man’s face began to rip apart. Masses of flesh lined with teeth, wound together as the illusion of humanity was broken, leaving behind a nightmare of viscera and bone.

**“Come closer Brown, you won’t be able to bond with us all the way over there.”**

In a sort of trance, Brown walked forward, mouth gapping open as he stared at the nightmare in front of him. It was just so… wrong. His legs threatened to give out as he reached Lime and he asked in a shaky voice. “What do you want me to do?”

**“Take off your suit.”**

Brown obeyed without question, his eyes darting towards the door. Why hadn’t it opened? Why had no one come to check on them?

Logically he knew the answer. This was electrical, and everyone avoided electrical.

Still, surely they were questioning where he and White were. Where Lime was. Well, maybe not Lime.

That was it wasn’t it? They just assumed everything was fine. As the fabric that cushioned his body fell about his legs, Brown stood their trembling in the cold of electrical.

They air seemed wrong, as though it had a slight charge to it. It made the hairs on the back of Brown’s neck stand up as he stood there, shudders running up and down his body. There was nothing to protect him from it now. He didn’t even have underwear, he’d been going commando the previous day when they’d all been locked out.

White made a soft noise, beckoning him forwards. Brown did as he was asked, his dick nearly brushing Lime’s face. He hastily put a hand over it, but a tsk from White made him withdraw it slowly and regretfully.

**“You humans are so oddly designed.”**

White mused, reaching out and grasping Brown’s penis. He worked his hand up the shaft, fingers lovingly caressing the skin. **“My kind reproduces differently you know. More effectively.”**

He slid his hands down, finger rubbing against the tip of Brown’s penis. Sparks of sick pleasure jolted through Brown and he held back his gasps as White rubbed his thumb hard against the tip of his dick.

**“You have so many holes that are just asking for something to fill them.”** White reached forward and pulled Lime’s head back, forcing his mouth open. **“It makes you fun.”** White’s hand slid onto Brown’s hips, making him stagger closer. He felt Lime’s teeth graze the tender skin and he took in a sharp inhale of breath.

**“Wider Lime.”** White said, the vicious twist he gave to the others hair not matching the gentle tone in his voice. Lime whimpered but did as White said, his jaw stretching open in an almost uncanny fashion. Brown gulped, taking a step forward and sliding his dick deeper into the others mouth. He felt Lime’s throat spasm slightly, his hand moving upwards to steady himself on Brown’s hip.

**“There we go.”**

White released Lime’s hair, allowing his head to sag forward. His mouth closed, lips slick with blood and spittle as he began to meekly work his head back and forth, sliding it up and down Brown’s embarrassingly erect penis. Brown’s legs were shaking so bad, that he was afraid they might give.

However, this soon became less of a possibility as tentacles wrapped about him. He felt teeth nick at his skin as they held him upright with surprising strength. Brown was so desperately anxious that he didn’t really take stock of his surroundings. The first sign he got that something had changed was when Lime let out a pitiful whimper that thrummed against his dick.

He blurred eyes opened and he stared down. His eyes traced over Lime’s slightly arched back, finding the source of the other man’s discontentment. One long thick tentacle had been forced between the others ass cheeks and into the hole beyond. It was moving slowly, carefully. The slime that smeared across it glistened in the electrical rooms lights.

**“You need to relax Lime.”** Warned White in a placid voice. **“You’ll tear if you don’t and I have so much more to fit inside of you.”**

Lime gave a sob and Brown instinctually reached out to do… something. Pat him on the shoulder? Tell him it was going to be all right? Brown hastily withdrew his hand, panic forming a knot in his stomach. Nothing was going to be all right, he was an absolute moron for thinking it might.

Yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away as another tentacle lazily wound around the first. White’s disembodied sigh followed as he heard a squelch of wet flesh being forced further apart. Lime’s hand bunched into a fist and Brown’s dick slid from his mouth.

“Fuck!” He swore, pounding the ground with his hand. “White, you son of a bitch…” His words were lost in a scream as with a sudden shove, three more tentacles slithered in to join the mass that were already impaled in the poor Lime’s ass.

Lime tried to scream, but the loose wires about his neck suddenly became tight again.

**“Step back Brown.”** White advised, as calm as ever as his tentacles continued to dive into the man at an alarming rate. Lime could not longer scream, wires once more around his neck. “STOP!” Brown said, even as he did as White said. White ignored him, seeming to search the wires held in his hand. He paused, holding up two red wires that seemed to be matches.

**“This should settle you down.”** He said and before Brown even registered what he was doing, he pressed the wires to either side of Lime’s head. The man’s body went rigid and Brown screamed as sparks flew from the wires, the smell of burning singeing the air. White pulled the wires away and the man collapsed to the ground in a smoldering heap.

**“Or kill you I suppose.”** White said, sounding vaguely surprised. He kicked in a not so gentle fashion at Lime’s body. Brown vomited off the side, staggering back and away from Lime’s smoldering corpse.

**“Huh, I genuinely forgot electricity was that deadly.”** White said, giving a shrug. **“Oh well, the more you know.”** The mouth about his middle opened up, teeth exposing themselves further as a long tongue wiped out. Brown didn’t have time to look away before White bit down into Lime’s corpse, tearing away a massive chunk of bloodied flesh from his side.

**“I suppose I’d had enough fun and I was getting hungry. Lime’s not really my type after all.”** The sound of crunching bones was all Brown could hear as he staggered back onto the floor. He watched as White ate, only stopping when the entire top half of his former crewmate had disappeared into his voracious mouth. Where was he putting it Brown frantically thought as he watched White eat. Mass had to go somewhere, _mass had to go somewhere!_ White was tall sure, but he was also skinny. It just didn’t add up…

Brown’s thoughts were snapped as White looked up, his face reforming as he smiled at Brown. **“You look so scared Brown.”** Brown whimpered, retreating into a corner as White sauntered forward. Brown nearly tripped over his suit, which still hung about his knees. He hit a wall, knobs and buttons digging into his back as he closed his eyes. He was next, he knew that. White would not let him live, not after what he’d seen.

He felt the others presence loom over him and in his frantic thoughts, his mind focused on one singular one. Hopefully White would make it quick. He gave a gasp as a hand gently grasped his dick.

**“Don’t worry, I’ll help you finish.”** White thrummed, working his hand quickly up and down Brown’s shaft. Brown wanted to push him off, but instead stood still as he felt breath against his face. White leaned in as his grasp grew harder, pressing his faux lips into Brown’s.

They didn’t feel right. To soft, to malleable as the slid over Brown’s but he didn’t struggle. The questing tentacle that extended from between them in place of a tongue slipped inside, sliding across the top of his mouth as White continued to milk him hard. He let out a gasp that was lost in the Imposters false mouth as against his will, he felt himself cum.

His eyes were still closed, so when White finally pulled away. When he spoke again his voice caught Brown off guard.

“Well this is a bit of a mess isn’t it?”

Brown opened his eyes to see that White once more looked like a normal person. There was nothing that would hint at the reality of the situation as he smoothed back his blond hair, before kneeling down and pulling up Brown’s suit.

Carefully he slid it back over Brown’s arms and up his shoulders, a hand sliding behind him to zip the suit back up. Brown could say nothing as White continued.

“Honestly, that was a bit horrific. You humans have such low tolerance for electricity. It was an honest mistake on my part.” Brown heard the hiss as his oxygen pack was once more hooked back up to his back, the tubes twisted into place.

“Let’s hope your helmet isn’t damaged.” White said with a laugh as he turned around, striding across the floor to retrieve his helmet that lay abandoned. He picked it up, reattaching it to his head, before reaching down and scooping up Brown’s helmet which still lay abandoned by the closed door.

Brown stared at him in shock, his mind trying to piece together the situation. “What are you doing?” He finally managed to blurt out as White approached him, his fake face once more hidden behind a visor. White placed his helmet back on his head, twisting it into place and the comforting hiss of air surrounded Brown’s ears.

“Getting ready to report a body of course. Did you not hear? Lime just died in electrical.”

Brown stared at him. “I’ll tell them it was you…” He said, voice trembling. White folded his arms. “You could I suppose, but that wouldn’t be a good idea now would it.” He leaned forward, visor gleaming under the lights of electrical.

“Poor little Brown went off his meds. Lime was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he thought he was the Imposter. He killed him.”

“You ate half the body.” Brown pointed out, laughing hysterically as he breathed in panicked breaths. “I couldn’t do that! No human can.”

White inclined his head. “Fair point, so how about this. Brown and I went into electrical to fix the lights, we found Lime. Brown lost his temper. Turns out the reason he was so determined to shift the blame was because he himself was the Imposter.”

Brown clutched his shoulders shaking his head. “They’ll believe me…” But he was lying to himself and he knew it. The ship was already burning with distrust, with anger. They trusted White, everyone trusted White. That was, accept Pink.

“That’s why you killed Pink, isn’t it?” Brown said, feeling his shoulders slump. “Not because you were afraid of him hunting you, but because you knew he’d figure it out…”

White paused. “How do you know Pink is dead?”

“Because he never came back to the cafeteria last night, there’s no way he’s still alive.”

White let out an exhale, before he leaned in arm resting beside Brown as their helmets touched. “Brown, you need to stop big braining this. Otherwise I’m going to have to kill you. You understand that, right? Surely you don’t want to die.”

This time Brown’s legs did give out from under him. He slumped to the floor, water hitting the inside of his helmet as he held his head in his hands. “Don’t be so dramatic Brown.” White’s voice was soothing and Brown heard him kneel down in front of him. “I don’t want to kill you, so if you behave I won’t.” His voice sounded so earnest and Brown wondered if he was telling the truth.

A heavy hand was placed on his head as White continued to speak. “All you have to do is be quiet. Do you understand?” Brown’s mind was racing. He wanted to be a good person, he wanted to be a brave person. But even as he thought this, fantasies of running for the others plaguing his mind, he felt his head nod.

“Good.” White reached down, gently taking Brown’s limp hand as he pulled him to his feet. “Now, we’ve got a body to report. Let’s be quick about it.” With this the doors finally slid open with a click.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for all of those who sussed White, you right, that Mf is real sus. Stay tuned for next time where we will no doubt get to see White's acting skills at their peak.


	5. The Roundtable of Fingerpointing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which much sus is thrown and a deadly verdict is reached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out yesterday but packing for undisclosed thanksgiving trip got in the way. As they say though, better late than never, so here we are.   
> Now we get to find out just how White's going to spin this to the rest of the crew.

“Didn’t White say he was dealing with this?” Cyan griped, glancing over towards Purple as he stared at the download screen. He watched it blink away as data was processed. Purple leaned over it, his finger tapping at the frame. Even though Cyan couldn’t see his face, he knew the man wore a bored expression.

Purple gave a lax shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe he got distracted, Brown seemed on edge.”

Cyan glanced towards the entrance, staring off towards the hallway beyond. Since their conversation in navigation and subsequent plunge into darkness, he and Purple had been working together in relative silence.

It was uncanny to watch the ship’s systems rebel against them as someone… some _thing_ actively tried to kill them. Even with Purple by his side, Cyan still found himself flinching at shadows. Each second they lingered in dark halls out of the sight of others caused him more and more anxiety.

“You don’t think anyone died while the lights were off, do you?” Cyan’s question seemed to take Purple off guard slightly. His companion straightened, turning to look over towards him.

“Do you want me to answer that honestly?”

Cyan was about to respond when his words were drowned out by the alarm. All around them, noises began to blare, causing a pained pulse of panic to ripple through his stomach. Another sabotage was the first thought that entered his head — something else had been broken. But as he listened to the alarms, he realized that this wasn’t at all the case.

“ _Dead Body reported. All crew gather immediately._ ”

The robotic voice droned, and Cyan felt his breath leave his body. He felt frozen, only breaking from his stupor as Purple’s hand gripped tightly around his arm.

“We have to move,” he said quickly. Cyan felt himself being tugged along as the two of them stepped from comms, their feet hurried as they made their way down the hallway.

Cyan’s head was spinning as the voice repeated its message over and over again, clearly not intending to stop until everyone had gathered around the emergency table.

“Who…?” Cyan said, colors flashing through his mind. Who had died, who could have it been?

“It’s got to be Lime.”

Purple’s voice was grim, and Cyan felt a knot form in his stomach as the two of them stepped out into storage. Sure, Lime was not his favorite crewmate, but he wouldn’t have wished death on him.

Hastily he shook his head, searching his mind for an explanation… _any_ explanation that did not involve the death of one of the crew.

“Maybe someone tripped it by accident,” he said, feeling his palms sweating. “I mean, maybe Red is just having a moment.”

“Don’t be naïve.”

Cyan flinched at the icy edge to Purple’s tone. He looked towards him, and he heard the man give a static exhale over his mic.

“Sorry, that came out wrong. It’s just… Cyan, if this was just Red freaking out, this would’ve been an emergency meeting, not a body report. On top of that, Lime’s been asking for something like this to happen ever since we left Polus. He’s been nothing but stupid since this whole thing started. There’s simply no _way_ it’s not him.”

“Don’t say that,” Cyan said shaking his head, even as deep down he agreed with Purple. “He’s just… no one is dead, okay?” There was no confidence in his voice, his mind clinging to the lie for dear life. Losing another crew member, that was just too much to consider.

Purple turned his head, no doubt to respond, when the sound of pounding footsteps caught their ears. Him and Purple Cyan tensed, the noise coming from behind the massive pile of crates.

He and Purple had just rounded about them, the admin hall stretching out beyond them. Cyan stared as he heard the footsteps coming up on them, and he felt Purple jerk him a step back.

Neither of them had time to say anything, as with a blur of motion Yellow and Blue skidded into view, nearly colliding with the two of them.

“Fuck!” Purple swore hastily, holding out his hands in a defensive posture as Yellow barely missed crashing into him, his frantic progress only being stopped by Blue, who hastily reached out and grabbed his partners arm.

The two of them staggered to a halt as Purple spoke again, glancing between the two.

“Blue, Yellow, what in the hell has gotten into you two?” He sounded alarmed, as though their sudden appearance had really startled him. Cyan hastily stepped up to stand beside him as he looked between the two crewmates. Both of them were gasping for breath, the sounds jarring to hear over the microphones that were imbedded in their helmets.

“Are you two okay?” Cyan asked hesitantly as even the sound of that blaring alarm faded away into the background.

It took them a moment to speak, but when the answer came it was from Yellow. He straightened up, his words a gasp.

“Pink is _dead!_ ” Yellow’s voice sounded hysterical, as though he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. His hand shot out, finger pointing behind them.

“What?” Cyan felt an icy feeling beginning to pulse through his veins. As he heard Purple take in a sharp inhale.

“Dead?” Purple demanded. “Was it you two who reported the body, then?”

Yellow just shook his head, doubling over and Cyan realized he wasn’t just out of breath from running. Whatever Yellow had seen, it hadn’t just upset him. It seemed to have scared him.

Blue hastily moved forward, putting a hand on his partners back. He looked over to Purple and Cyan and when he spoke Cyan could tell he was fighting back a mixture of emotions.

“We were near security when the alarms went off. Yellow had the bright idea to go look inside and see if we could catch anything on the cameras and… there he was.” He sounded terrified, angry, and pained all at the same time.

His words shook Cyan to his core as he began to shake his head.

“What are you talking about? That’s impossible,” he said flatly, his mind refusing to hear the words being spoken to him. “We would have found it earlier. We’ve all been awake and moving about for hours — if Pink was dead, we would have found him! The ship isn’t that big…”

“Security isn’t a priority though,” Purple spoke quietly, his voice reserved. He seemed to have withdrawn into himself and Cyan felt his grip that still was wrapped about Cyan’s arm tighten slightly.

“We’ve been over there all day,” Yellow said in a faint voice, still crouching down. “All day, walking back and forth between the engines. We were fixing them and all that time, he was just… Pink was…” There was a sudden retching sound and Blue hastily gripped his partners shoulders.

“Yellow… Yellow, take off your helmet if you're going to puke.” Yellow shook his head.

“I’m fine,” He said, his voice wobbling slightly. “I…”

“I’ll tell them,” Blue said, his hands gripped in a firm fashion on Yellow’s shoulders. “Just… just catch your breath.” Yellow nodded his head, as Blue’s helmet tilted towards Cyan and Purple.

“Pink’s body isn’t… he’s in a bad way. The bits of him that are left.” Blue’s voice was shaky, as though he was having to force the words from between his lips. “He’s… it was _torture._ The fucker who did this, they didn’t just kill him…”

Cyan felt he also might be on the verge of vomiting, but the thought of being trapped in a helmet full of bile managed to keep him from it.

There was a moment of silence as the four of them stood. The alarms had faded into the back of Cyan’s mind as the implications and mystery left behind by Blue’s ominous words threatened to overwhelm him. Then, it seemed like something snapped as the robotic voice once more broke through the small bubble of horror the four of them were trapped in.

“ _Dead Body reported. All crew gather immediately._ ”

Blue’s breath was sharp as he leaned over, his hands gripping Yellow’s shoulders.

“Yellow, you have to get up,” Blue said, hastily pulling his partner to his feet. “Yellow, we have to move.” Yellow nodded his head, wrapping an arm around Blue’s shoulders in a clear effort to keep his balance.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered quietly to the man beside him. “I… I’m having trouble processing it.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Blue’s voice was assuring, his own anxiety haven apparently been hidden away. He looked over towards Purple and Cyan. “Do either of you know who this meeting’s been called for?”

“My guess is someone just found Lime,” Purple stated, and this time Cyan didn’t have the heart to tell him off. He was floored by this entire situation.

He’d seen Pink last night — he’d seen him. He’d told him goodnight before he’d gone to bed. Sure, it was a little odd that Pink had been missing when he woke up but… _dead?_

“We’ve got to get to the table. Otherwise people will start throwing sus…” Purple began but Cyan cut him off, emotion overwhelming him as he pointed a finger at the pair in front of him.

“He can’t be dead.” Cyan knew that his voice was oddly high, but he couldn’t bring himself to lower it. He let out a slightly hysterical laugh as he gripped his left arm tightly. “I mean, have you seen him? The guy is all muscles… he _can’t_ be dead!”

“Well, he _is_ , because the fucking Imposter left him in security,” Yellow snapped, his voice stuttering slightly as he spoke.

“Yellow, breathe,” Blue reminded him gently, pulling him back towards the hallway that lead to the cafeteria. “We need to go to cafeteria.” Yellow allowed himself to be pulled, the two of them hobbling off together.

Purple made a motion to follow.

“We better move.”

Cyan did not budge. He was dazed state, his mind trying to comprehend what he had just heard.

He stared down the hall, feeling as though he was a thousand miles away. His mind couldn’t accept it. Couldn’t accept the idea that if he turned around and walked down the metal hallway back towards security, he’d find the desecrated corpse of someone he’d called a friend. He swayed, feeling himself turn around, back facing the hallway in front of him. He had to see for himself, had to see the body. Had to prove there was nothing back there.

He took a step forward…

“Cyan, what the hell are you doing!” Cyan felt a tight grip around his arm and turned to see Purple. Even without seeing his face, he knew the man was giving him an incredulous look.

“He’s not dead,” Cyan said, shaking his head. “Maybe Lime is dead, but Pink is not dead. He can’t be — that makes no sense, Purple.” He took in a sharp breath, his voice becoming slightly pleading.

“You know that makes no sense… you agree with me right? Pink can’t just die.”

_Because if Pink was dead, what hope did the rest of them have?_ Cyan’s mind whispered.

Purple was silent for a second, his grip never wavering on Cyan’s arm.

“Cyan…” He said, before trailing off and shaking his head. “Cyan, we have to get to the cafeteria, okay?” He pulled forward, forcing Cyan to turn away from his desired location. “You of all people don’t want to get caught wandering alone, least of all when we’re in the middle of a crisis.”

Cyan stared down the hallway, squinting his eyes as though expecting to catch Pink’s bulk hiding in the shadows somewhere.

“Cyan, you have to come with me,” Purple urged.

“You go…” Cyan said, straining against the hand that held him. “I’ve got to go check on Pink.”

“Cyan I’m not letting you go down there.” His words snapped Cyan’s attention back to the other man, and he turned and stared at him. Purple didn’t tremble, but Cyan heard the deadly serious tone in his voice.

“He’s not dead,” Cyan insisted, even though he could hear the obvious lie in his voice.

“You don’t want to see what’s in the security room,” Purple said, his voice firm. “Cyan, please. We’re already late, and Orange is no doubt going to have a field day with that.”

He stepped forward so he and Cyan were face to face, putting a hand on his shoulder. Even though there was fabric between them, the warmth from the other man’s touch made Cyan’s skin burn, and for a second he was distracted.

“We have to go to the cafeteria,” Purple said, his voice slow and calm. “Otherwise Orange and Black will probably try and have us thrown out of the airlock. You understand that, right?”

Cyan slowly nodded his head as Purple pushed him in front, rubbing his back gingerly. “Breathe, Cyan, you need to breathe,” he said, sounding slightly flustered. Emotions were not Purple’s forte — Cyan knew this.

They were the last ones to arrive, and even though Cyan’s mind was still floundering, the scene that greeted him as they quickly made their way into the cafeteria was not what he had expected.

He’d been expecting to have all eyes glued to him as he walked through that door, accusing and angry. Blaming him for the deaths that had occurred. But despite his and Purple’s late entrance, they received very little attention.

All eyes focused on the two crewmate who sat with their backs to the windows that looked out into the abyss of space. Both of them were smeared with dark gore.

Brown was collapsed into a chair, blood staining his suit as his head rested against the table. He was still as a statue, his posture slumped into what could only be described as surrender. Beside him, White hovered.

He too was stained in blood, the viscera clear against his pale suit. He stayed close to Brown, his posture protective.

The rest huddled around the two. Blue and Yellow to the right, close and quiet. Orange and Black were to the left, and Red stood at the front. As Cyan and Purple approached, Cyan could hear the heavy pants of the other man’s breath. It was clear he’d been screaming, a rant that Purple and Cyan had missed by a hair.

As Purple and Cyan walked up to the table, White turned to look towards them. As they reached the button, the alarm that had been blaring finally died, leaving everything in a still eerie blood-stained silence.

“Oh good, you’re here…” White sounded… exhausted. As though he’d just run a marathon without a single drop of water. His voice was a painful rasp, cracking in his throat in a painful sounding fashion.

“White — who’s dead?” Purple asked, the smallest hint of a shake somewhere in the very back of his voice.

“Lime is dead,” White said, sounding as though he was choking on the words. “Brown and I found him in electrical.”

“Details,” Black requested, his voice cold and quiet. Cyan looked towards him, breath coming in sharp pulls as he felt his worn nerves fray further. How Black was so calm as he stared at this scene of carnage, Cyan had no idea.

It seemed Cyan was not the only one who felt that way as a ripple of discomfort rolled over the group. Yellow and Blue looked towards Black, and even Red glanced in his direction. Black spared them no attention, seemingly focused on the white-suited astronaut.

White gave a small shudder, clearing his throat before he spoke in that same raspy voice.

“Lime… he must have been the one who fixed the lights. Brown found him first. Lime’s body was up in the back, and he went up to work on the wiring.”

There was silence, before Black took in a sharp and angry sounding breath.

“Right, great…”

He stepped away from the table, his hands resting on his helmet as he shook his head. Red took advantage of the silence.

“WELL LOOK AT _THAT!_ I was RIGHT to stay in the cafeteria!” He waved an angry hand about. “SO YOU CAN FUCKING SHOVE IT, WHITE!”

“Would you shut the fuck up, Red!” Blue snapped from across the table.

“Red, shut your fucking trap. No one wants to hear what you have to say right now,” Black added. Red looked like he was about to throw hands, but instead he seemed to gather himself together and sat back down in a huff.

Black’s helmet turned across the table. “According to you two, Pink is also dead in security. So we’ve got two dead crewmates. Two dead crewmates, and no one knows anything.” His gaze wandered across the table.

Purple spoke beside Cyan, making him jump. “He’s right — there’s no way no one’s seen anything at this point.”

“It’s a pair who’s doing it,” Orange spoke up, his voice self-assured. “Either that, or we’ve got a sympathizer on board.”

Black did not respond as he simply stood there. Cyan could almost hear the gears turning in his head, and he wondered if the eyes hidden behind that shadowed visor were darting between everyone who stood around the table.

The uncomfortable silence stretched. Cyan felt his gaze drawn to Brown. The man had not moved from the table, the blood that streaked his suit staining the blue surface. He wasn’t speaking, and Cyan got the feeling he wasn’t going to. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden outburst from off to his side.

“SOMEONE’S GOT TO GO!” Red snarled, slamming his hands down on the table and making the whole thing rock. “One of you is going in the airlock, END OF STORY! WE CAN’T RISK THIS ANYMORE!”

“He’s right,” Orange said and Cyan got the feeling his was smiling under his helmet. There was a nasty energy that emitted from him, and Cyan watched as the man’s helmet turned, looking in Cyan’s direction. “Someone has to go — it’s the only way. We can’t just wait around till they kill again.”

“I agree.”

Cyan stared, turning to stare in disbelief at Purple. He had sat down, his arms folded on the table as he stared about those gathered around it. “Someone here is lying, and I’d be willing to be that someone here knows more than they’re saying.”

Red’s mic crackled to life, but Purple cut him off.

“Enough! I think we’ve heard enough from you. You don’t know anything — you’ve been in cafeteria all day, _Red!_ ”

“Yes, shut the fuck up, Red,” Black added. “You’re not helping anything.”

The table was silent once more, as Purple cleared his throat. “We need to let the people who’ve found the bodies tell us more about the scene. At least with Lime, there’s a good possibility that the killer was still somewhere nearby.”

All heads turned back to White. White stood there, but it seemed words were failing him. After a couple false starts, he lifted a hand shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, I just… I need a second.”

“It’s fine, we’ll circle back to you.” Black’s voice was crisp. He was being oddly quiet, Cyan noted. His visor hid his face and his posture gave nothing away, but Cyan had the oddest feeling that there was something on his mind.

“Blue and Yellow, you said you found Pink?” Black asked, and for a second Cyan thought he heard a ring of sadness somewhere in the bitter voice. Blue exhaled and glanced at Yellow.

“We did.”

“Walk us through that,” Black said, taking a seat as he peered across the table at them.

“We’ve been on the left side of the ship since we woke up,” began Blue, but this was as far as he got. Red once more interrupted.

“Why the hell were you over there? We were supposed to be fixing things on the right side!”

“We were over there,” Blue said, turning to look towards Red. “Because all of the tasks White set out to do weren’t things we were sure we could do. We work with the more physical side of things. We weren’t hired for reprogramming, or working anything in navigation. We were checking up on the engines because it was something we were sure we knew how to do.”

The silence that had fallen as Blue spoke was intense, all eyes fixed on him as he spoke. Blue shifted in clear discomfort under their weight, but he plowed on regardless. 

“We worked on the upper engine through the first power outage. We were halfway to electrical when the power came back on, so we went back and headed into the reactor.” Blue was clearly thinking hard, as though retracing his steps in his head. Cyan noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Orange had shifted. The energy Cyan felt of him was akin to a tiger ready to pounce.

“We were taking a break when the alarm went off,” Blue said, before once more being interrupted. Orange let out a soft scoff.

“You were taking a break?” Orange said, his voice dripping with doubt. “By the room where the body was discovered in? _Really?_ ”

“We didn’t know!” Yellow seemed to have found his voice again as he stood up angrily. “How could we have known? It was dark, and the body was back by the monitors. We couldn’t see it!”

“Sounds sus,” Orange said, leaning back slightly.

“No, he’s right,” Black said, causing Orange to look towards him.

“You wouldn’t be able to see a body from the hall, not if it was far enough up. Besides, I’ve been thinking…” Black let out an exhale of breath. “Pink must have gotten killed while most of you were sleeping. I didn’t seem him in the cafeteria when I last...”

“Uh, HELLO? Are we really going to ignore the fact that they were TAKING A BREAK!” Red butted in. “WHY the HELL were you two taking a break! We are in crisis!”

“We were tired, Red! We haven’t slept since this all began,” Blue said through gritted teeth. “We were among the people who kept working, even when everyone else went to sleep.”

“Right, I’m _sure_ that’s all you two were doing in reactor. Catching up on sleep,” Red mocked. Blue’s posture tensed and Cyan watched in alarm as his hands balled into a fist.

“Guys, this is getting of topic,” Purple said hastily, but it was far too late.

Yellow pointed a finger across the table at Red

“I don’t know what the hell you think you’re implying, but we’re doing our tasks! From what I hear, you holed up in the cafeteria like a coward! What the hell’s _your_ excuse?!”

Red’s hands balled into fists as his voice rose.

“I’M NOT A COWARD!”

Purple swore as he pushed Cyan back and out of the way as Red flung himself across the table, taking attempting to drive his fist into Yellow. It missed by a long shot, but Yellow’s counterattack was much more on point. The limber man leapt onto the table, letting out an enraged yell as he barreled forward and landed on top of Red.

“Yellow, stop!” Blue yelled as Black let out a flurry of curses, frantically getting to his feet as he and Blue rushed to two brawling men on the floor. However, even as Blue caught hold of Yellow’s arm and Black managed to grab Red’s leg, they were interrupted.

“Stop!”

White’s voice was clear, and there was an undertone of anger to it that Cyan had never heard before. “All of you SIT BACK DOWN!”

As though by magic, the room settled. Yellow quickly got off of Red, allowing himself to be ushered away by Blue as Red staggered to his feet. Black caught the man’s shoulder forcefully, guiding him back to the table. White’s fists were shaking as he stared between them, his voice a whisper.

“People are dead! Our peers, our friends… they’re dead! Now, if you wouldn’t mind, keep it together!” Cyan noticed that Brown, who had been slumped and dead-looking for the entire conversation turned his helmet to look at White. Cyan didn’t blame him — he’d never seen White so angry.

White let out an exhale and sat back down, hands on the table. “Bickering won’t help us. We have to be rational,” he continued, that anger still bubbling in the back of his voice. “Blue, Yellow, please continue.”

Yellow and Blue exchanged a glance, before Yellow cleared his throat. His voice was shaky, but he spoke with clarity as he picked up where Blue had left off. “When we heard the alarm going off, I thought it would be a good idea to go and check the cameras. I thought that maybe there was a chance of catching someone doing something they shouldn’t be… Of course, we never got to the cameras.”

He trailed off and Blue placed a hand on his shoulder as he said in a husky voice, “It’s fucking stupid, isn’t it? That none of us thought to get on the cameras and look at what was happening. To play back the footage after Dark Green died. None of us aside from Pink. That’s my guess as to why he was in there.”

“Is there any chance of getting the footage now?” Cyan asked, feeling a sudden swell of excitement mixed with dread inside of him. If he could get that footage, he could prove that he wasn’t a killer.

Blue shook his head. “Whoever was responsible for killing Pink destroyed the cameras. The screens have been shattered.”

“Right. Thank you, Blue and Yellow,” White said clearing his throat, but Yellow held up a hand to stop him.

“I have something to say,” Yellow proclaimed through gritted teeth. “Maybe whoever did this thought we wouldn’t notice, since Pink was partially eaten… but we _know_ what you did to him before you ate him. I would just like to say, to whoever one of you is responsible… you’re a twisted fucker and you’re going to rot for what you’ve done.”

Yellow looked around the table and Cyan noted he seemed to fix on Red for a significant amount of time. Blue did not stop his partner but joined him in the glaring. Cyan felt his heart rate speed up, even as he assured himself that Yellow was not aiming those words towards him.

“Whoever it was did the same to Lime.” White’s voice was quiet once more, voice seeming shaken as he spoke. Yellow’s hidden glare broke and he turned, reaching out a hand towards White.

“Oh god, no…” Cyan noticed that White flinched slightly at the other man’s approach, and he wondered if he too had been taken off guard by the venom in Yellow’s words.

Yellow wasn’t exactly known to be aggressive. Sure, he might get sassy sometimes, but the way he’d spoken his last sentence rung with a promise that was terrifying to hear.

“I didn’t stay and look for too long, but if you’re implying what I think you’re implying… Lime...”

He was interrupted as Brown took in a gasp of air. The noise caused Cyan to jolt as he looked over at the man. Brown had lifted his head and he seemed like he was going to say something just for a second. But as he looked about the table, then to White, he seemed to shrink back into himself.

“What the fuck is wrong with him?” Orange asked, leaning in. He sounded curious as he stared over at Brown, his head tilted slightly.

“He’s in shock.” White said simply. “As I said, he found Lime’s body first.” He placed a hand firmly on Brown’s shoulder, giving it a gentle rub before he once lifted his head. His helmet turned as he seemed to take in the whole table, before he spoke.

“So, where was everyone?”

His voice was harder now, angrier. “Someone killed Lime, so where are all of you claiming to be?”

His angry glare was joined by Blue and Yellow and Cyan suddenly got the feeling that until they cleared themselves, all of them were going to be sus. Purple was the first one to speak and to Cyan’s relief he spoke for both of them.

“You saw us, White,” Purple said. “You were arguing with Red in the cafeteria when the two of us woke up. Up until then we’d been asleep.” Purple said, before adding. “Also, I’d like to point out that Brown confirmed that Cyan was in the cafeteria all night last night, and since we think that Pink… _passed_ last night, it couldn’t have been him.”

“Brown’s in no state to confirm or deny anything!” Orange protested, but Purple ignored him as he continued to speak. “Needless to say, I think you can see that Cyan and I are in the clear.”

“But what if you two are both Imposters?” Orange asked, turning to look at them. “I’ve been saying that Cyan is sus since the very beginning. He’s the one who killed Dark Green, after all. Purple is probably the one who smashed the cameras to keep him safe.”

Cyan felt his temper snap.

“I did _not_ kill our Captain!” He slammed his hands on the table, staring Orange down as he pointed a shaking finger at him. “Why are you so sure it was me?”

“Because it was probably him,” Purple snapped, standing up. “Orange, where the hell were you at the time of the murder?”

Orange stared at them in disbelief. “I was with Black, obviously! We were in Admin!”

“What were you two doing in Admin?” White asked, his voice full of confusion.

“One of the downloads in weapons locked — I needed to swipe my ID to unlock it,” Black replied, his words methodical. “Of course, Orange wasn’t with me the whole time.”

“Oh right, I remember seeing you.” For the first time, Red spoke without shouting. His helmeted head was turned towards Orange and he sounded surprised. “I saw you walk across the cafeteria. Where the fuck were you going, Orange?”

“I was using the bathroom! The only one on this floor is up by MedBay!” Orange snapped, sounding irritated.

“MedBay, huh?” Black said as White tilted his head. “Er, Orange you might want to rethink that,” he said in a pointed fashion.

“Why?” Orange said, before understanding seemed to dawn on him. “Wait! Are you accusing me of using the vent in MedBay to kill Lime?” The whole crew was silent, everyone staring at Orange. Orange looked visibly uncomfortable as he turned to Black.

“Black, I wasn’t gone nearly long enough to fucking brutalize Lime! You know this!”

“Maybe.” Black’s word hung in the air as he tilted his head, clearly thinking hard for several seconds. Then he asked in a quiet voice.

“Where were you last night, Orange?”

Orange stared at Black, visibly becoming more uncomfortable. “Excuse me, _what?_ ” he demanded, though there was an odd note to his voice. Black looked over towards Orange and there was an eerie calm to his voice.

“Orange, you weren’t in the cafeteria last night. Where did you go?”

The silence that followed Blacks words was eerie. Every single helmet was turned towards Orange, staring at him.

“I was in the MedBay because I got sick of sleeping on the damn floor,” he said, anger in his voice. “Can you really blame me for that?”

“MedBay again, huh…” Black said, voice cold as ice. “It’s funny, because Lime was the only other person stupid enough to sleep in MedBay and now… he’s dead.”

Orange seemed to suddenly become very uncomfortable. “What the hell are you on about, Black?” he asked the man, his visor directed at him.

“I’m saying that you were missing last night, Orange. No more, no less. I’m saying the only person who could have confirmed where you were is now dead. I’m saying I think Lime saw you vent, but he was too stupid to know what he saw… but you still killed him, just to cover your bases.”

Black had risen to his feet and the rest of the crew had followed suit with the exception of Brown, who did not move, head still clutched in his hands. Orange backed away from the table, hands in front of him.

“Wait! Wait hold on!” he protested. “I didn’t kill Lime!”

“Maybe you didn’t, but I’m pretty sure you’re the one who killed Pink,” Black said raising a finger. “I vote Orange.”

“Guys, wait,” White said, holding out his hands. “We need to be sure…” But his voice clearly held no more power. Everyone was on their feet, including Cyan as he stared at Orange. His mind was putting into place the pieces that Black had given him, and it showed a picture that no one could deny.

Red was the first to grab him, twisting his arm behind his back as he held him in place.

“So you’re the fucking monster whose been killing everyone!”

“Get the fuck off me!” Orange yelled, lashing out towards his assailant. His hand was stopped as a Purple glove fastened around it. Purple was on the other side of the man, twisting his arm as he and Red held him prone.

“You’re not just an Imposter,” Purple said coldly. “You’re a bad Imposter. You could at least try and pretend it isn’t you.”

Orange blanched then, his voice no longer full of barbaric desire to see others killed.

“Wait… no, it’s not me!” he pleaded, fighting with the Red and Purple. “Guys, listen… you can’t possibly believe I’d do that to Pink… to Lime.”

“Guys, we really should look over our evidence before we just…” White began, but his voice was drowned out.

Yellow and Blue were on their feet now as well. Yellow was trembling, and Blue’s fists were curled up beside him as he pointed a furious finger at Orange.

“You sicko, I should have known! You’ve been trying to kill Cyan from the very beginning!”

“That’s because I really did think that it was him!” Orange yelled in a frantic voice. “Okay, maybe I was pushing too hard for it. I’m sorry, Cyan! Please…”

“NO, _ENOUGH!_ You want someone to go in the airlock, well, NOW _YOU_ CAN GO IN THE AIRLOCK!” Red snarled as he and Purple dragged Orange backwards.

Cyan watched the conflict, suddenly feeling torn. Was Orange innocent? _No, think about what Black said,_ he thought. Orange was a bastard, Orange was a liar. Orange had killed Pink.

“This is mob mentality!” Orange shrieked as he fought against the crew. “What happened to democracy?”

“All right, a vote, then.” Yellow’s voice was shaky, but anger radiated off it in waves. “A show of hands of everyone who thinks this bloodthirsty asshole should be thrown off the ship?!”

“I vote Orange.” Red snarled giving a vicious yank on Orange’s arm.

“Orange!”

“Orange!”

“Orange!”

“Orange!

Cyan raised his voice to join Yellow, Blue and Purple each of them calling out their vote.

“What about you, White?” Red turned around, pointing a finger at White.

“I mean, my vote really doesn’t matter now,” White said, seeming a bit stunned by how everything had gone down. “I’m sorry, Orange. I guess I’m voting you.”

Eyes turned to Brown, but Purple shook his head. “Just leave him be. We know who he’d vote for if he was in a sound state of mind.”

“The polls are in. You have to go,” Red snarled as he and Purple continued to wrestle Orange towards the airlock on the far side of the ship. “You gotta go, Orange.”

“YOU’RE ALL INSANE! I’M NOT THE KILLER!”

Orange made a lunge to break free, twisting away from Purple. Cyan rushed forward, shoving him in the chest as he forced him backwards. Purple grabbed his arm as Cyan’s hand began to tremble. “You killed Dark Green,” he said through gritted teeth. “IT WAS YOU, WASN’T IT!? AND YOU BLAMED _ME!_ ”

He was livid. This bastard had tried to get him killed, had tried to frame him for the atrocity he had committed. Orange stuttered, before he called out his voice meek and panicked.

“W… white. _Help me._ ”

Cyan looked back and saw White shaking his head.

“Sorry, Orange, but even I have to admit. You look hella sus.” Orange let out a scream of rage as he was hauled backwards. They marched, their parade of death taking the struggling Orange to the airlock door.

With a hiss, it slid open and with a furious grunt, Cyan pushed Orange as Red and Purple released his arms. He staggered back, tripping and cracking his helmet against the back. Red hit the button, closing the airlock doors as Orange staggered to his feet. He ran at them, fists pounding against the glass.

“WAIT! Listen, please! I admit, I was a bit too excited to see someone ejected. I was acting like a bad person. It was fucked up, but you have to believe me. I’M NOT THE IMPOSTER! I DIDN’T KILL ANYONE!”

“Can it, Orange,” Red snapped as his hand slammed down onto the eject button. Cyan closed his eyes as he heard the blaring warnings that the airlock was about to open. He heard Orange’s scream echo through his helmet, before it quickly crackled out of existence as the man was sucked out into the eternal abyss.

There was silence as the weight of what they’d done hit all those on board.

Cyan staggered back as he watched Purple’s shoulders sag. Red took in a breath, glancing about his surroundings as though the comfort of relief was finally returning to him. He shivered, nodding his head.

“Right, so that’s over,” he said patting a hand against the airlock door.

“No.”

Everyone who had gathered to watch the execution turned, their eyes finding Black who stood behind them. He stood away from them, his arms folded as his head turned slowly to take them all in.

“There has to be another one. For all his lies, I think he might have been telling one truth. I don’t think he killed Lime, at least not if the body was in the condition that White seemed to imply it was.”

All heads turned to White, who was lingering behind the group. He was silent, but Yellow’s voice spoke up from within the mob.

“I don’t think a single Imposter could have taken down Pink,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. Not from sadness this time, but from barely controlled rage. “It would have had to be two of the fuckers, maybe more, who knows?”

“Exactly,” Black said and Cyan realized why he was keeping his distance. “Which means one of you is an Imposter. One of you was helping Orange.”

Red looked like he was tensing again, glancing about the gathered crowd. The he paused, pointing a finger towards Black. “Here’s an idea — what if it’s you? You’re the one who was with Orange the most!”

“I’m the one who recommended with throwing Orange off the ship!” Black snapped, sounding affronted by the accusation. “Watch where you’re aiming that sus!”

“We already threw someone off.” Purple spoke, his voice firm. “Red, settle down. Even if he is the Imposter, it’s much harder to kill when there’s just one person.”

Red seemed to relax slightly at these words as Purple continued.

“At the very least, I’m sure that Orange was one of them,” he paused before adding, “Good deductions, Black, glad you finally came around.”

Black just nodded his head as White finally opened his mouth and spoke.

“Well, since we’re sure there’s another Imposter on board, we better stick with our buddy system, then… though I suppose we’re going to have to juggle things a bit now that we’re down another four crewmates.”

“Four?” Cyan asked, his head turning towards White. “What do you mean _four?_ ”

White glanced back towards the table where Brown was still slumped at. Carefully, he stepped forward, beckoning everyone in closer. The group crowded about, though Black remained off on the outskirts of it, eyeing all of them with obvious distrust.

“Guys, Brown’s going to be out of commission.” White seemed to teeter for a second, before letting out an exhale and saying in a guilty voice.

“Look, don’t repeat this, but there’s a reason he’s acting the way he is. Overly twitchy, and all that. Brown is on anxiety medication, and his meds have been locked away downstairs. Until we get them back, it would be better if all of us if he just stayed out of the way.”

“Medication?” Red said and Cyan could hear the suspicion in his voice.

“Anxiety medication, Red. The only person he’s a danger to is himself,” White said, his voice chiding. “In his current state, he’s liable to give himself a panic attack.”

Black let out a heavy sigh.

“But if Brown’s down…” He paused, looking about the group. “That doesn’t leave that many of us to fix the ship.”

“We can’t just leave him by himself.” Yellow said, looking over towards Brown. “Someone has to stay with him. If he’s just here by himself, he’s no better off than Lime was.”

“I’ll watch him,” Red volunteered. A legion of skeptical helmet tilts turned his way and he let out an annoyed scoff. “Well, I’m damn well not going into the bowels of the ship while there’s still an Imposter on the loose. I ain’t risking my life like that.”

“Fine, then all go with White,” Black said, glancing towards White. White seemed slightly startled. “I, no… I really should be looking after Brown…”

“You are one of the most competent people on this ship, we cannot have you sitting around doing nothing,” Black insisted. White gave a sigh, glancing back towards Brown’s slumped figure, before looking towards Red.

“Be nice to him,” he warned. “And also, if it looks like he’s about to have an episode, get ahold of me.”

“Fine,” Red’s voice lacked its usual bite. Cyan could tell that the actions that he’d committed, that they’d all committed, were weighing on him.

“We should take a break.” Blue’s voice broke through the quiet, causing attention to fasten on him. Yellow stood beside him, fists still balled and ready for a fight.

“A break, right now?” Black said, sounding disbelieving. “We don’t have time for…”

“We just murdered Orange,” Purple’s voice cut threw Black’s, silencing him. “Shit, Black, let us take a moment to digest that.” Black went quiet, his helmeted head turning as he looked among them.

“Fine,” he finally said, the fight leaving his voice. “Fine… you’re probably right.”

“That’s a good idea Blue,” White said, glancing back towards the table. “I’m going to try and… and talk to Brown. Maybe get him to eat something” With that, he peeled away, beelining towards were the slumped figure still sat.

The crowd dispersed and Cyan turned to gaze back into abyssal darkness of space. He couldn’t see Orange, but he had to imagine that the body was out there somewhere. He’d of course be dead by now… probably. After all, these spacesuits weren’t meant for actually going out into the ether. But he was an Imposter, so maybe they could survive longer? He didn’t know.

“Cyan, are you okay?”

Cyan started, turning to see Purple was still standing beside him.

“Oh, yeah, I’m… I’m good,” Cyan lied, the tremble in his voice betraying him. Purple’s head turned, looking out into the void.

“We did what we had to, Cyan,” he said simply.

“It was him, wasn’t it?” Cyan turned his gaze to Purple. Bubbling deep inside of him was a fear, a fear that he couldn’t shake. It was the fear that somehow they had been wrong, that Orange had actually been innocent. He’d sounded so scared, and as Cyan thought on his words the more doubt entered his mind.

Purple let out an exhale and clapped Cyan firmly on the shoulder. “I’m one hundred percent sure, Cyan. Orange was one of them.”

Cyan relaxed slightly at his words, feeling a wave of relief at the validation. Purple sounded so confident, and this brought him some relief. If Purple was that sure it was Orange… well, who was Cyan to argue?

“Right, you’re right.” He paused, before adding softly, “Thank you by the way.” Purple tilted his head.

“For what?”

“For defending me, back there at the table. I… I just appreciate it you know.” Cyan felt heat on his cheeks, embarrassment managing to find a place among the mess of the emotions he was feeling. Purple gave a jerk of his head.

“Anytime, Cyan,” He said, turning his head away from the void beyond the window. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You know that.”

Cyan’s cheeks burned and Purple hastily coughed, seemingly embarrassed by his own words. “We should probably take advantage of this break and sit down — something tells me things are going to get even more hectic over the next couple of days.”

“I think that would be a good idea,” Cyan said, gratefully turning his back to the endless space behind him as he followed Purple back towards an unoccupied table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lesson of the story here is hide your murder boner or you get yeeted.


	6. The Bathroom Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two coworkers have a conversation and Cyan gets relationship advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was Orange an Imposter? Who's having sex now? The answers lie below and the might (or might not) surprise you.Was Orange an Imposter? Who's having sex now? The answers lie below and the might (or might not) surprise you.

Footsteps tapped down the silent hall, echoing off silent and empty blue grey walls. A lone figure traversed through them. For someone who lived onboard a ship slowly filling up with bodies, his gait was confident. He had no fear of the dark — after all, White knew the monsters within it by name.

He stretched out his arms, feeling the tentacles that comprised his body writhe and twist about the confines of the spacesuit he donned. They pushed and prodded against the layer of “skin” he’d formed to mimic the life onboard this ship. It wasn’t uncomfortable for him to hold this form — after all, this is what his kind did.

The Skeld had entered its sleep cycle, and almost everyone was resting after the traumatizing ejection of Orange. Emotions seemed to be settling down now that their crewmate was off floating in space, cold and dead. Not as settled as White would like… which was why he’d taken a walk.

Patrolling was his excuse, a notion he found quite funny considering the circumstances. In truth, White was just a bit jittery and needed some time alone in the dark. His footsteps echoed out through the dark as he turned down another hall as he allowed bits of him to unwind. Most of his form was hidden away beneath the gutted remains of a spaceship, so allowing a couple of features to distort wouldn’t get him in trouble if he ran into an unsuspecting crewmate in the hall.

Back, down toward Medbay and caught sight of the camera. Its black eye was trained on him, but its red light was dull and dead. Despite this, he got a twisting feeling of fear in his stomach.

Cameras were not his friends, and even though the security station had been smashed in, he still got a squirming feeling inside of him whenever he passed one — a squirming sensation not related to the mass of writhing ribbons that comprised his raw form.

This was not his first time killing. White wasn’t the oldest imposter he knew, but he was older than most. Most didn’t make it as long as he did. His ability to befriend the humans around him was a gift. It normally kept him safe — safe to do his missions, and sometimes more if he was sneaky.

This was his fifth ship — the fifth crew he’d infiltrated. It was all quite exhausting, even for someone like White who enjoyed the game. His mind drifted back as he tried to remember how he had felt when all of this had begun. His first ship, his first crew, his first color. It was impossible to draw it forward though. They say you always remember your first, but for White he’d left those memories long buried in the dust.

He was not what he once was. He knew that beyond a doubt.

His path turned downwards as he walked by Upper Engine. The roar soft thrum of the motors vibrated in his skull. He glanced at it, feeling a bit irritated. The repair job on it had been a lot faster than he was anticipating. They’d purposely tried to keep people off the engines. The last thing they wanted was for power to come back on right now. A good night’s rest would not help him.

His eyes darted towards the dimly lit room that housed Security. Pink’s body was, of course, gone, moved by Black and Purple earlier. After all, out of the entire group, they were the ones with the strongest stomach. Pink… White felt an odd pulse of emotion inside of him. His steps stilled for a second as he tilted his head, trying to unweave what he was feeling.

He hadn’t always been sadistic. No, White used to be very different. A shapeless formless creature with little thoughts to these sorts of activities. At one time he was nothing more than a blank slate. That’s how all Imposters were in the beginning. Not mindless, but traitless.

But they’d be chosen. Chosen to leave their refuge, and leave their world to infiltrate. To do their missions.

An Imposter’s mimicry wasn’t just as simple as looking like the human whose life and body they stole. Imposters also replicated their minds, their thoughts, their feelings. Everything that made them who they were.

The man whose body White now wore had given him traits he did not appreciate. He had been impulsive — a wildcard. White had lured him away from a nightclub, right before he had been sent out with the Skeld. He’d been easy to kill, but far less easy to act out.

Any Imposter who spent too long enough trapped in the mind of another was bound to pick up a few traits from that person. Some of them were things as simple as referring to oneself with pronouns. Gendered pronouns did not exist in White’s own species. Yet he felt drawn to pronouns, choosing to mimic male forms more often than not.

Then there were the human desires. The needs and the petty wants… they became part of who you were, twisting you further and further from your primal form. Some traits White did not mind, but the impulsiveness… that was a problem. At least he’d never gotten empathy.

He’d avoided that one… he knew what _that_ one could do. Overly empathetic Imposters tended to die quickly. Humans — you either grew to love them or hate them, or so others of his kind had told him. White felt he’d picked a neat middle line to walk, one that neither comprised his mission and also allowed him some leniencies.

His feet swiveled as he began to walk down the hallway towards electrical. He felt a slight discomforted shiver inside of him as he tried to sort through his personality, trying to pinpoint where he’d gotten each trait. It was so hard to say now. After all, the humans who used to have them were all a part of him now.

His steps slowed as he came to the entrance of electrical and he tilted his head, peering inside. Speaking of his new leaning towards the impulsive, that encounter had not entirely gone to plan. However, he supposed it could’ve gone worse. Sure, he’d killed Lime far faster than he meant to, and Brown had indeed seen his true form, but it had all worked out in the end, hadn’t it? After all, he was still alive, Lime was dead, and it seemed Brown had made the smart choice of keeping his mouth shut. Still, it had been risky… but where was the fun in life if you didn’t risk it all once in a while?

He paused, his faux brow crinkling. There it was again — that trait. He glanced back into Electrical, and his mind quickly grasped for something else to think about.

 _Brown_ … his mind fastened on the image of the pale man as he’d trembled, naked and vulnerable. White felt his thoughts shift, embracing this new thought process with something akin to relief.

White had always had a fascination for the small human from the first moment he’d come onboard the ship. Space wasn’t a place for the weak, and in his own way Brown was not weak. He was clever, resilient… traits that would have normally made White keen to take his place.

Yet for being as smart and quick-witted as he was, he was just so easy to overwhelm. His mind betrayed him at every turn, and when unmedicated, the man was a mess. It was bizarre and somewhat fascinating for White to watch.

The thought of medication to control one’s own brain was not something that a creature like White was used to. Imposters were such fluid beings, shapeshifters able to morph themselves any way they chose. They could mold and redefine their bodies along with their minds if the need arose.

To be trapped with a brain that functioned like Brown’s… it would have invoked a sense of pity if White had had one. Of course, the emotion that it actually invoked was a carnal one, and the thought of it occupied White as he meandered away from the door.

He was so busy thinking that he didn’t see the hand extend from the shadows. He started as it caught his shoulder, spinning around to stare into a darkness that hid nothing from him. His hand moved to his side, preparing to grab a weapon before he realized who he was looking at.

“Don’t do that!” he snapped at the figure behind him as the astronaut gave a laugh. He was cloaked among the shadows of the dimly lit hall, White’s senses showed him exactly what was there. He knew who he was… _what_ he was.

“You can’t just sneak up on me!” White continued, irritated that he’d been caught off guard.

“For something that’s mostly teeth, you’re jumpy,” mocked the other Imposter as he stepped out of the shadows to stand beside White.

“I was occupied,” White replied huffily. “It’s not _my_ fault if I’m easily spooked.”

“Yeah? Well, serves that’s what you get for leaving Brown alive,” said his partner, a sudden irritation flaring in his voice as he folded his arms.

“Risky move on your part.” His spacesuit gave a rather inhuman writhe as something inside of it pressed up against the outside.

White placed a hand on his hip, eyeing his peer with amusement. White had worked with a lot of other Imposters in his time. Some were violent, some were cowardly. This one, though… he was odd. He and White had a lot in common when it came down to what they wanted, yet they shared so few personality traits. White did not understand him, and his behavior made White ponder sometimes who exactly he’d eaten.

“ _I_ was bold? What about you?” White said, waving a dismissive hand at his peer. “You were pretty quick to put the hangman’s noose around Orange’s neck. Aren’t you worried that might come back to bite you?”

The other Imposter shook his head. “No, I’m not. Because I planned for it,” he said with a wave of his hand. (there’s a lot of hand-waving happening here) “And don’t change the subject. You killed Lime in front of Brown, didn’t you?”

“Oh, I did a lot more than that,” White said in a smug voice, cocking his head. “I’m afraid little Brown has seen things he’s never going to be able to unsee.”

White’s peer let out a growl.

“White, he’s such a liability! When you said you’d take care of the problem, I thought you meant _you were actually going to take care of it_! Not make it worse!”

White grinned at the other Imposter. “Level with me. Are you angry with me because I left Brown alive, or because I didn’t wait for you when I dealt with Lime?”

There was a moment of silence before as White considered his companion, already knowing the answer. For all his outrage at the situation, White knew the real reason he was actually angry.

“You know I hated that little shit!” hissed the other Imposter, and White could see tentacles begin to slither from his suit as his hidden mouth split across his chest, its expression pulled down in a scowl. “But now he’s _dead_ , and I’m never going to get to show him exactly how I felt about him!”

Love them or hate them… that was the way, wasn’t it?

“Careful, your true face is showing,” White warned. With a wet slurp, the inhuman bits retracted, and White’s peer once more looked a perfect mimicry of an astronaut. White anxiously peered about, but the two of them were indeed alone in the hall. He turned back as his partner let out a long-suffering sigh. He did that sigh a lot when he was around White and the Imposter got the feeling his partner found him a bit trying.

“Tell me he suffered, at least,” he grumbled after a minute, a hint of sulkiness in his voice.

“Oh, he and I had a bit of fun before all was said and done,” White said with a laugh, before adding in a genuinely apologetic voice, “Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t wait for you, but I figured it would be hard for you to ditch your partner. He seemed pretty keen on sticking to you like velcro.”

“I suppose he was,” mused the other, before adding with a firm note to his voice. “Well, at least I’ll be there for the next kill.”

“Oh? You have a plan?” White said, fully turning to the other for the first time. When it came to this operation, it wasn’t White who was in charge. Sure, he was the face that told people what to do, but he wasn’t the one who came up with the ideas.

His partner made the power plays, while White normally stayed off on the sidelines, playing the charade of the nicest crewmate you would ever meet. Sure, White had managed to befriend most people on board, but his peer had managed to gather information from every bit of the ship without being noticed.

He had been the one to sabotage most of what had been destroyed, he had been the one with enough sense to smash the security cams all while not a single ounce of sus fell on his head. He had also been the one who had created the lists of tasks for White to hand out.

It made sense, really. After all, he’d been doing this a lot longer than White had. He brought his own memories to this ship, his own baggage. That’s why he’d gone after Pink. The man may not have remembered it, but if his peer was to be believed the two had met before. Going out an airlock was not necessarily a death sentence for an Imposter, but it required a lot of luck if they were going to survive.

“I do have a plan,” his peer said, before adding with begrudging acceptance, “And I will admit, the pills spiel was a good play with Brown, even if I don’t approve of the fact that you kept him alive.”

“You have to admit, he’s cute… for a human,” White protested and his buddy gave a lax shrug of his shoulders.

“I suppose he does seem like your type. Did you have fun with him as well while you were in Electrical?” White shook his head and gave a wistful wave into the air.

“Not too much fun,” he said in a slightly mournful voice. “See, I killed Lime on accident. I forgot how dangerous Electricity was to humans.”

“Dumbass,” his peer remarked, and White scowled even as he continued. “But why not spend some extra time with Brown alone in Electrical, since you’re so fond of him? You could have probably gotten away with it.” There was a rather pointed note to his partners tone that White chose to ignore.

White shook his head, feeling an odd pressing weight hanging in his stomach. When he’d first started doing this, he would not have been able to identify the emotion. Now though, he knew beyond a doubt that it was anxiety.

“I wouldn’t have been able to give him the attention he deserves — not right now. Believe it or not, I’m stressed. I was kind of hoping that once they threw one person out, they’d start breaking off from their little groups. Now that we were safe from the big bad Imposter.”

White cast an irritated look at his partner, adding “You sure didn’t help foster that environment.”

“It was bound to happen. We’ve got at least one person on board this ship who wouldn’t have bought that there was just one. I figured there was no point in trying to avoid it.”

As he had been speaking, White’s peer had begun to walk. His path went back in the direction that White had come from. White walked beside him, unconsciously following him through the halls.

“I suppose you have a point,” he admitted, frustrated sigh on his lips.

There was silence for a second as the two of them walked back by the security room, before White asked in a teasing voice, “So, you have any special plans for when all of this is done?”

Once again, White already knew the answer to his question. They hadn’t been working together nearly as long as White had with some of his other Imposter buddies, but White felt that he understood his partner significantly better than the majority that came before.

“I have some company of my own to enjoy once all this wraps up,” his peer said lightly. He paused then, and White got the feeling he was deep in thought. “Of course, how it ends is entirely up to him… I can’t exactly leave him alive if I can’t trust him, can I?”

“Do you trust him?” White asked, genuinely curious in the other’s answer.

“Not yet.”

A creak and a footstep from somewhere up ahead caused the two of them to go quiet. By this point, their path had taken them up to the upper engine, and from somewhere down the hallway to Medbay, there was someone walking.

Both White and his peer slunk into the shadows, eyes tracking the figure who came down the hall.

“Who’s up there?” White whispered to his partner as the two of them observed from the shadows. He shouldn’t have bothered asking as he stared down the hall, finding the light blue sheen of Cyan’s suit.

“What _is_ he doing up?” demanded White’s peer, irritation in his voice.

***************************

Cyan paused, glancing about his surroundings as he felt a shiver of fear crawl up his back. There was nothing, of course… the hall was vacant. No secret monster hiding away in the shadows, no threatening presence in his near vicinity. Everything was peaceful. Everything was empty.

With a sleepy yawn, he continued walking, trying to shake the nasty feeling of being watched. It was only natural to have this feeling, he reasoned. After all, there was still at least one Imposter on board somewhere.

Imposter or not, Cyan had to use the restroom. He’d woken up in the night with his bladder full to bursting and he was in the process of making his way to the small room that was stuck between the upper engine and MedBay.

The good bathrooms were on the decks below, but at the very least, there was still one up here. It was a small compartment, with a total of three toilets stalls available for use. The small metal door was shut, and he made his way to it, a bit quicker than was really needed as that feeling of being watched continued to nag at him.

Hastily he pushed it open, stepping inside as he yawned behind his visor. His yawn got stuck in his throat as he lifted his head, catching sight of a rather surprising scene in front of him.

It seemed that Blue and Yellow were up as well, though they didn’t seem too keen on using the restrooms for their intended purpose. Yellow was bent over the sink in a state of undress, Blue behind him as he gently worked his hips back and forth. Their suits and their helmets lay crumpled on the counter beside them, as though pulled off in quite a haste.

Blue’s dark black hair fell about him, light brown skin accentuated by a soft sprinkling of freckles about his face as he thrust his hips in a steady rhythmic motion. Yellow, whose long brown hair pooled about his shoulders had his eyes closed, as he bit down hard on his lip, his pale skin gleaming under artificial lights. His cheeks were red and soft exhales and sighs escaped him as his hands balled into fists on the counter.

Cyan was frozen for a second, his cheeks growing bright red. Then he hastily gave a cough and turned away.

“Er, did you two mean to lock the door?” he asked, feeling as though he wanted to fall down and die.

He heard swearing and a hastily scrambling. The spacesuits they wore were rather tedious things to take on and off, but somehow Blue and Yellow managed to get theirs on in what felt like twenty seconds at most.

It was only when he heard the zipper of two suits that he turned back, his face flushed underneath his helmet. Yellow and Blue hadn’t bothered to put back on their helmets, their faces red as they stared at Cyan guiltily.

“ _Shit,_ we’re so sorry,” Yellow apologized, his face a deep maroon. “I thought Blue said he’d locked the door.” As he said this, he gave Blue a rather pointed look.

“I thought I did,” Blue said, kicking slightly at Yellow before he faced Cyan fully. “Sorry Cyan, that’s a bit embarrassing for you to walk in on…”

Cyan laughed, before on instinct he reached up and removed his helmet. It was nice to put his face out in the open as he gave the two a smile. “It’s fine — I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Blue and Yellow seemed to relax slightly, before Blue said with a mild dose of amusement, “You know, we try really hard to pretend and not be a couple… but we’re not every good at it, are we?”

Cyan shook his head, as he grinned at them. “It’s fine — we’re all stressed, and I’m sure you two would be doing this in your bunks if they were open.”

Yellow let out a said noise as a wistful expression crossed his face. “Oh, the _bunks_. I miss sleeping in a bed.”

“I miss not living in fear,” Cyan said as he sidled past them, making his way towards the toilets. Blue and Yellow stepped out of his way as Yellow called after him.

“So, full bladder, then?”

Cyan closed the door behind him, unzipping his suit and letting it fall down as he quickly got to peeing.

“Yep,” he said, feeling like he really should feel more ill at ease with the situation.

“Yellow, don’t ask him shit like that! It’s weird,” hissed Blue, and Cyan laughed quietly to himself as he finished up. Quickly, he zipped his suit back up before opening the door and stepping back out.

“Again, we are sorry,” Blue said as Cyan waved off his apology.

“It’s fine,” Cyan assured him with a shake of his head. He paused though, before looking between Yellow and Blue. “Hey, could I ask you two something?”

Blue and Yellow exchanged a look, before they gave nervous looking nods.

“Sure, why not?” Blue replied. “You did just walk in on… _that_. I suppose answering a few questions would be fine.”

Cyan was confused for a second, before he hastily held out his hands.

“Oh no, no I don’t have questions about _that_. It’s just… well, I guess it’s _kind_ of question about it…” He sighed and rubbed his arm, trying to decide whether he really wanted to ask the question.

“This is going to sound stupid…” he said, his face flushed with color. He could see a gleam of interest enter into Blue and Yellow’s eyes and he knew he’d said too much to turn back now.

“It’s just… do you think Purple likes me?”

“ _Likes_ you?” Yellow said, tilting his head to the side. “Like as a friend?”

“Seriously?” Blue said, slapping his boyfriend on the back of the head. “That is _clearly_ not what he means.”

Yellow seemed to think about it for a second, before a look of understanding dawned on him. “Oh, you’re right — I’m dumb.” Then, his eyes lit up as he eyed Cyan with interest. “Wait, are you asking for dating advice?”

“…Maybe?” Cyan said, his face burning with embarrassment. “I just… I have a hard time reading people.” Blue and Yellow were quiet, both of them thinking.

“ _Does_ Purple like him…? That actually is a tough question,” Yellow said as Blue nodded his head.

“I mean, he spends a lot of time with him,” Blue pointed out.

“True, but that’s also just what friends do,” Yellow said.

Cyan looked between them, feeling his hopes of getting an answer decreasing by the second.

“Final verdict?” he asked, feeling a bead of sweat on his brow.

“Purple’s a bit hard to read,” Yellow confessed giving a helpless shrug of his shoulders. “Honestly, you’re the only one he’s really close with.”

“I mean, it is quite possible,” Blue added quickly. “He does seem pretty keen on sticking to you like glue. Truthfully, though, without seeing your interactions it’d be pretty hard to say. Sorry.”

“That’s fine, it was a bit of a longshot,” admitted Cyan with a laugh. He tried to will himself to leave, but his body refused to move.

There was something else.

“Did you have another question you wanted to ask us?” Blue asked seeming to pick up on Cyan’s anxiety.

“Yes… I guess I…” Cyan rubbed the back of his head, before he let out an exhale. “Look, to tell you the truth, I haven’t ever really… I haven’t had sex before.”

Blue and Yellow looked shocked.

“Wait, why not?” Blue asked as Yellow added. “Are you… demisexual, or something?” Cyan shook his head, his face growing redder by the second.

“No, it’s not that. I’m just a bit shy is all, and I’ve been so busy with my career…” His words sounded like excuses, and in reality, they probably all were.

He wanted to have sex… he just couldn’t seem to find the courage to ask. Besides, Cyan hadn’t really had the best role models when it came to expressing himself in such a way. He’d come from a distant family. The sort of family who judged you, but did it silently behind closed doors.

His father and mother were together, but not in any sort of way that hinged on emotional connection. In some ways, Cyan had often wondered if he was just a check mark on a long list that the two had made together. Their hearts and souls belonged to their jobs and their friends, but not to one another.

He’d gotten the talk, but it had been the wrong one. The one reserved for a boy who was finding himself more and more fascinated by the woman in his life. Cyan had never been that boy, and when he’d finally gotten around to be honest with his parents about this fact, the results had been mixed.

He hadn’t spoken with his father in about four years now, Cyan’s very identity somehow a threat to the man. His mother, now separated from his father since it seemed the benefits of their relationship had ended, was far more accepting, though at the same time she still was the way she was. Distant, and somewhat cold.

That’s why Cyan wanted to ask Yellow and Blue — because it was clear these two had it figured out. They were right… they were terrible at pretending they weren’t a couple.

There was a warmth between the two of them that was impossible to miss. A dedication. Cyan wanted that.

They were in love and they had sex. It had been embarrassing, but the first thing Cyan had thought when he’d walked in and seen them fucking was just how lucky the two were. So he’d decided to ask them the big question, the one his parents had failed to answer for him all those years ago.

“So, what do you want from us?” Blue asked, his voice inquisitive as Cyan noticed a small smile pass between him and his partner.

“I just… could you explain it to me?” Cyan asked, gesturing vaguely at Yellow and Blue. “I’m sorry, I haven’t really gotten a chance to ask a lot of questions.”

Yellow nodded his head. “Well, I mean… do you know what you’re interested in? Like, have you used toys or…?”

“Oh yes, I’ve done that,” Cyan felt a small swell of relief. He had done that, and the thought caused a slight tingle to run up his spine. He’d had to start fairly small, building his way up with the silicone plugs he’d kept stored away in his belongings for a good long while.

“Well, what do you prefer, first off?” Yellow asked shifting from foot to foot. “Are you more of a bottom or a top? Or are you a switch?” Cyan’s face went bright red at the question.

“I… that’s a hard question to be honest. Um…”

“Look, Cyan, what do you really want from the two of us?” Blue asked, and Cyan glanced up to see a good-humored grin across his face as he cocked his head, dark hair dangling.

“Um…” Cyan wasn’t fully sure what he was hoping to accomplish. He rubbed his arm, suddenly wishing he hadn’t asked. “Nothing, I guess…” he finally said, giving them an awkward smile.

He turned to leave, but Yellow’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Cyan…” Cyan turned, flustered beyond reason. “You wanna lock the door real quick?”

“Okay?” Though the words baffled him, Cyan did as he was told, turning around and clicking the lock shut. He pulled the handle, reassuring himself it was actually locked when he heard the noise of zippers behind him.

He turned around, his face flushing an even deeper tone as he stared at the two disrobing men in front of him. They were removing their suits again, throwing them back up onto the counter. His eyes wandered across their bodies, noting how finely toned the two of them were. They were both fairly slim, but muscles were visible across their arms legs and chest.

Both of them had chest hair, though Blue’s was more hidden on his dark skin. Their skin gleamed under the lights, and Cyan couldn’t help but run his eyes up them. He supposed it hadn’t occurred to him that both Blue and Yellow were likely quite attractive under those spacesuits. The glimpse he’d gotten before had not been nearly enough to display all of their features.

“Cyan.. I don’t suppose you want to try out sex?” offered Blue, turning his head and smiling. Cyan could have melted for that smile, though he could not prevent the anxiety from bubbling up in is throat as he fidgeted.

“Wouldn’t you two mind that?” Cyan asked, looking between the couple. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Well, normally we’re not keen on company,” Blue confessed as Yellow nodded his head, his expression playful. “But with the threat of death hanging over all of our heads, Yellow and I are willing to be a bit more flexible.”

“Plus, you’re kind of cute,” Yellow said, causing Cyan to duck his head slightly.

“I mean, I’d like to,” Cyan said honestly. “You two know what you’re doing, right?” He couldn’t keep the note of anxiety out of his voice.

Blue looked like he was trying hard not to laugh as Yellow nodded his head. “If I can promise anything, it’s that.”

Cyan laughed and took a step forward. “I don’t have any protection…” he began, but Blue held up a hand, then pointed to a box that rested on the stainless-steel counter. It was blue with yellow stripes across it and Cyan recognized it quickly enough.

“Don’t worry, we do,” Blue assured. “You can never been too careful, after all.”

Cyan’s cheeks were flushed with a deep hue as he nodded his head. “Oh — you two are very prepared.”

Yellow laughed and beckoned him over. “Come on, we can figure out what you prefer.” Cyan shivered as he nervously eyed the door.

“I… sorry. I’m just a bit… nervous,” he admitted, his voice a squeak. He’d never found himself in this situation before, and if he was honest with himself, he’d been hoping the first time he did it would be with Purple. But at the same time, Yellow and Blue were so friendly… and he really did want to at least try sex out before embarrassing himself in front of someone he cared about.

“No pressure,” Blue said him, his voice having a deep soothing quality to it. “We can all pretend none of this ever happened if you prefer.”

Cyan felt reassured as he took in a deep breath, before saying, “I mean, I’ve already locked the door.”

He walked over, anxiously coming to stand in front of Blue. He was taller than him, Cyan realized as he came closer, looking a good inch above him. Behind him, he heard Yellow approach.

There was a hiss as Yellow went about expertly unscrewing his oxygen pack. The man’s nimble fingers made quick work of the tubes, carefully pulling it from Cyan’s back.

“So how would you prefer to start?” Blue asked as Cyan felt Yellow tugging at the zipper that held his outfit together.

He glanced down, taking in Blue’s dick for the first time. He felt his breath catch at the size of it. He supposed it wasn’t the most massive thing in the world, but to him it looked huge. It was dark in color and thick. The idea of taking it was intimidating to say the least, but his thoughts were stolen away form this thought as he felt Yellow’s hand slip inside of his suit, gently kneading his underwear.

Cyan squeaked as Blue reached forward, helpfully guiding his arms free of his suit.

“Yellow, finish helping him undress before you start,” the man said, shaking his head at his partner. “You’re not being helpful, you know.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Yellow apologized with a laugh as Cyan’s suit fell around his knees and he carefully stepped out of it. Blue reached down, peeling off the condom he was already wearing and quickly stripping it away.

He grabbed two more of them out of the box as Yellow pulled down Cyan’s underwear, hands fastening around his dick as the man’s skinny fingers worked back and forth across it. Cyan stared down at it, feeling a bit embarrassed. His dick was fully erect and honestly Cyan was shocked that it had been so quick about it.

“Impressive,” Yellow said, his skinny fingers dancing to the end of Cyan’s cock and rubbing over the head of it. Cyan gasped at the contact, unsure of what he was supposed to say. “Hey Blue — condom, please.”

Yellow held out his hand and Blue, who was in the middle of replacing his own condom, handed over the second one he’d grabbed from the box.

Yellow tore open the packaging with expert ease slid it over Cyan’s throbbing dick. Every touch from him brought a rush of pleasure surging through Cyan’s brain.

“You know, we _could_ just do it all at once, since you seem to be having a hard time choosing,” Yellow offered playfully.

Cyan looked between the two, feeling strangely out of breath as he gave a nod of his head. “I… yes, that’s good with me,” he said, unable to fully organize his thoughts. Blue and Yellow’s presence surrounded him, filling him with a burning desire he hadn’t experienced before.

Yellow turned him around, before jumping back up onto the counter and raising his legs. His small pink hole glistened with wet lube as he spread them in an inviting fashion.

“Go on then.” He invited, his head resting against the wall behind him. “I’m already lubed up.” Cyan stared, feeling intimidated, before carefully taking a step forward. He wanted to shove himself directly inside the other man, but he had a burning fear that he might hurt Yellow. Carefully, he guided his dick to the small looking hole.

He pressed the head in, giving a soft exhale of pleasure as he felt the soft hole give in an inviting fashion. He leaned forward, allowing his dick to press inside. It slid with ease and Yellow gave a soft gasp of pleasure, leaning back as he massaged his dick.

“You don’t have to be gentle,” he said with a slightly mischievous smile. “I’m not fragile.”

Cyan nodded his head, pushing his dick in deeper. As he did, he felt questing digits coated in lube press their way between his crack.

“Don’t mind me,” Blue said, as Cyan felt a finger rub against his hole, before sliding inside him. He let out a gasp at the penetration, his tight hole shivering as it was forced it bit further open. Blue worked his finger back and forth as Cyan continued to shove his dick in and out of Yellow’s ass.

“Be gentle please,” Cyan said, his face awash with red. “I haven’t…” Blue gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, and he trailed off.

“Don’t worry,” he said in an assuring voice as he pressed another finger into Cyan’s hole. “I’ll stop if you tell me to.”

Cyan bit his lip, working his cock in and out of Yellow as he felt Blue work his fingers against Cyan’s unused insides. The man’s fingers were rough and questing, easily forcing Cyan further open with each motion they made. Even though the feeling was heaven, Cyan still felt trepidation as the fingers slid from him, replaced by the firm head of Blue’s cock against his hole.

A shiver went down his spine and he gave a hard thrust into Yellow, watching as the man bit his lip with a smile.

“You’re not too bad at this, especially since it’s your first time,” Yellow said reassuringly him. Cyan felt a wave of relief, though he was quickly distracted as he felt the tip of Blue’s cock penetrate inside of him. He let out a gasp as tip glided further in, the lube lessening the squeeze as it slowly slid into his ass.

He began to pant, his hands beginning to tremble as he tightened his grasp around Yellows legs. Blue leaned in, forcing him forward. His dick slide inside of Yellow, burying itself up to the base and the man let out a gasp. Cyan to shared this exhale of breath as Blue began to thrust in and out.

“You good down there, Yellow?” he called out to his partner.

Yellow gave a nod, his head back and his eyes closed as he relaxed against the wall. “I’m just peachy, Blue. Though, Cyan… you can be rougher, you know.”

“Don’t overwhelm him,” Blue chastised, before lowering his voice and speaking directly into Cyan’s ear. “It’s true, though — you can go harder than that.”

“I just don’t want to mess up,” Cyan said honestly, finding it hard to concentrate as Blue slid his dick in and out of Cyan’s trembling hole.

“Here, I’ll help,” Blue said softly. His hands fastened about Cyan’s hips. Cyan yelped as he speed picked up Blue forced him rhythm to match his own, the two of them moving in a sort of sync.

In and out and out and in and out, Cyan felt heat rising up through him as he knew he was growing close to cumming. Blue’s arms were wrapped about his shoulder as Yellow leaned back, his face bright red and his dick fully erect. His hand worked it furiously as he twitched, breaths growing faster and faster.

Cyan came first. With a final thrust, he felt himself give, the condom ballooning out as he did. Yellow was quick behind him, and he watched the spray of white spurt across the man’s chest. Around the same time he felt Blue give a hard shove as he grunted. Dicks slipped from holes as Cyan stepped back, Blue vacating his ass as he rubbed a hand against it.

Cyan gave a moan, his breaths coming in sharp pants as Yellow rolled up, his face pink and sweaty.

“You good, Cyan?” he asked, sounding a bit concerned slightly concerned.

“Yep, great… just catching my breath,” Cyan said, ducking his head in embarrassment. Blue patted him on the back. “You did good for your first time.”

“Thanks,” Cyan said as his cheeks grew redder. His whole body felt like it was on fire, but in a nice way. At the same time though, Cyan felt he was done for the evening. He stripped the condom from his dick, stumbling over his words as he spoke.

“Well, that clears up some… questions. I appreciate it,” he said, feeling his words tumbling out a bit faster than intended.

“Any time,” Yellow said and Cyan looked up to see the two watching him with amusement.

“You don’t have to rush away, Cyan — we don’t bite, you know,” Blue commented. Cyan nodded his head, his limbs still trembling slightly.

“I appreciate the invite, but honestly I’m a bit overwhelmed,” he said, hoping they two would understand.

He shouldn’t have worried as they both nodded their heads. “I mean, it is your first time after all,” Blue pointed out. “No need to overdo it.”

“Honestly, I’m a bit tired as well,” Yellow said, yawning.

“We should all probably go get some sleep,” Blue agreed, and an air of seriousness began to settle upon the group again. The sense that a malicious presence was watching them settled over the crewmates shoulders in a smothering fashion.

Cyan reached for the door, but Blue called him back.

“Actually, maybe we should walk back together, Cyan. For safety reasons.” Cyan nodded his head, taking in a breath of air.

“Yeah, you’re right, you’re right.” As he leaned against the door, watching Yellow and Blue dress, Blue cleared his throat.

“You should just ask Purple,” he said, as he helped Yellow slip his sleeves back onto his arm. Yellow nodded his head as in agreement.

“It’s true. Sometimes it takes a leap of faith.” Cyan nodded his head, a smile sneaking up his face. “I appreciate it.”

***************************

“That motherfucker,” White shushed his peer, dragging him away from the bathroom door as he silently held back laughter. He could feel the other straining against this grip and he hastily spoke in a quiet voice.

“Don’t do it — we can’t kill all of them.”

“We could kill Blue and Yellow!” snarled the other imposter, sounding furious as he and White crouched down in the shadows. White glanced at him, shaking his head. And here he was thinking he was the impulsive one.

“Not with Cyan there, we can’t,” White said, before adding, “You haven’t got the same leverage with him as I do with Brown. I think you know that.”

His peer did not respond, eyes still locked on the bathroom.

“That little _shit!_ ” he snarled, his voice warping as it became slightly louder than it should have.

“Hush,” White warned, and his partner fell silent. Even as he did, White couldn’t help but add in a teasing voice, “No doubt you’re all hot and bothered from watching that, but we really shouldn’t. Even though we both want to.”

Once more his peer did not speak, still glaring at the closed bathroom. White put a hand to his mouth to stifle laughter at the frustration radiating off his peer.

“Tell me, though… are you more angry at Cyan, or are you more angry at them?” His partner did not respond, his body stiff.

“Because if you’re more mad at Cyan…”

“No, no.” His peer shook his head. “I’m not killing Cyan. He’s still useful to me.” White waited as his companion’s breath slowed.

“Sure, _useful._ That’s the only reason,” White said, eyeing his companion. He wondered where the other Imposter had picked up such a keen sense of denial.

“I have a plan,” he said finally, letting out a sigh. “A plan that does not involve any killing right now. Even if I really want to.”

“That’s right, buddy,” White said, patting his shoulder as the bathroom door opened. “No need to kill.”

As White said this, the door to the bathroom opened. Yellow, Blue and Cyan stepped out from it, their gazes focused down the hall.

They spoke quietly as they walked away, before White glanced back at his companion. “You know, they might get suspicious if they walk back and you’re not there.”

“Shit, you’re right.” His peer turned away. “Stall them for me, White.”

White nodded his head, stepping out from his hiding spot and calling out to the group. “Hey! You three, what are you doing up so late?”

He had to stifle a laugh as all three of them jumped nearly a foot in the air, turning around hastily as he approached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sense looming danger. Let the betting begin on who I'm sending to the Imposters next.


	7. In which things go from bad to worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crewmates frantically work to finish their tasks before the Imposters can get the upper hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, whose ready for the reveal of the second Imposter. I have to say, I've loved reading everyone's theories. Now though, we get to the final reveal.

“Cyan, what in the _hell_ are those?”

Cyan started guiltily, feeling his heart thump faster in his chest. His head twisted, staring back behind him as his gaze found the form of Red. He was right behind where Cyan was sitting, standing over him with his arms folded.

Cyan had not heard him approach, but that was no surprise. Out of everyone he would encounter in the cafeteria, Red was the most likely candidate seeing as how he so rarely left it. He and Brown had been hunkered down for the last few days, Red taking his job to watch the other man quite seriously. Likely, Cyan had theorized, because Brown was the only thing standing between him and having to do tasks in the halls.

Red’s head was twisted to the side, staring with obvious dislike at the collection that Cyan had set out on the table. It was clear that he disapproved deeply of what he was seeing.

It wasn’t much, really — just paper plates that Cyan had collected up from about the cafeteria. The place, which had always been messy back when there were still 12 of them, seemed to only grow more messy with each death.

Garbage littered the tables, plates laying forgotten and silverware scattering the floor. Each table had at least three filthy napkins laying atop its surface. The place seemed to emit the same energy as the crew. Tired, paranoid and more than a little unclean.

From this rubble of humanity, Cyan had gathered up some clean paper plates. On the off-white paper, he’d used a marker he’d lifted from Admin to scrawl the names of those who were no longer among the living.

The plates weren’t anything special to look at. The gloves made it hard for Cyan to write, let alone decorate. He’d done his best creating an embarrassing approximation of flowers, his artwork looking like that of a ten year old. The chunky flowers had been placed about the names, before the plate had been placed on the table face up.

He'd started the project about ten minutes ago. He and Purple were on break, something that White had insisted on for all the crew. As the final few repairs began to come into sight, Black had been pushing harder and harder to get things done.

Thanks to Yellow and Blue, the engines were once again in working order, though it seemed the reactor in the back of the ship still needed some work. The shields were back online, so the constant rocking from the asteroids striking at the sides of the ship had mercifully stopped, leaving only the dull thrum of power in its wake.

Purple had excused himself for a bathroom break, and Cyan hadn’t felt brave enough to offer to come with him. Not because he was afraid of the Imposter, but because the idea of going into the same bathroom where he’d spent time with Yellow and Blue was more than a bit imposing.

While Cyan waited for him to get back, he’d been working on his plates. It seemed that his little arts and crafts project had finally drawn some attention, and Cyan nervously cleared his throat. He felt guilty, though he wasn’t sure why. He hastily put an arm over one plate in particular.

“They’re just memorial plates,” Cyan said, wincing at the crackle of feedback on his mic. Their suits had been doing that recently, the microphones glitching from time to time. It was a grating sound to be stuck with. “For all the crew that have died,” he added quickly, arm still resting on plate number four.

Making them had made him feel a bit better, seeing as how there was no way to give his fallen crewmates a proper burial. As was expected under the Mira’s rules of engagement, all bodies had been jettisoned out into space.

In the end, Pink, Lime and Dark Green had all gone to join Orange in the void beyond.

This was, according to the handbook, to prevent emotional distress within the crew, or so Black said. It had been him after all who had insisted on it, because after all, he was the only one left on the crew who had thoroughly studied the damn rules. Black had insisted they couldn’t keep the bodies onboard, for hygiene reasons. Cyan thought he was a bastard for demanding this and he got the feeling he was not alone in this thought.

In Cyan’s opinion, it would have been better to keep the bodies. Now, when they returned to port, they’d have nothing left to give the mourning families. But rules were rules, and not even White seemed keen on trying to talk the man out of it.

So now, Cyan was making memorial plates so there was _some_ sort of sign that the others had existed.

“Cyan, those are crappy paper plates from the kitchen,” Red said, giving a snort of disgust as he made a gesture towards the half-finished plates on the table. “Those are _not_ memorial plates.”

Cyan opened his mouth to debate Red when the man pointed an accusing finger at the plate Cyan’s arm was covering.

“And why are there four? Did you make one for Orange!? Have you seriously already forgotten what the fucker did?”

“It just makes me feel better,” Cyan said uncomfortably, feeling like he didn’t have a good enough excuse to try and justify it. It just felt… right. After all, they’d all been together for so long. It was true that Cyan’s mind had been slightly weakened from lack of sleep and constant stress, so maybe it was this that made him feel softer towards the deceased Orange. Hatred was not something that came naturally to Cyan.

This clearly did not hold true for Red as he made a grab at the plate under Cyan’s arm. Cyan jerked it away, pushing his creations out of reach.

“Why do you care so much?” he demanded.

“Because Orange was a monster! It’s sus you’re making a plate for him!” Red said. Cyan may not have felt hate naturally, but that did not prevent the desire to punch Red from bubbling up in his brain. He was about to respond, when he heard a snap from behind them.

“Would you give it a rest, Red?”

Cyan turned to see that Blue and Yellow were approaching the table. Blue had been the one who’d spoken, his arms folded as he eyed his fellow crewmate.

“Why are you harassing Cyan? Aren’t you supposed to be babysitting Brown?” Yellow added, and Cyan could feel the man’s glare as the two approached him.

Red stood there for a second, before he turned on his heel grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like ‘sus’. He made his way across the cafeteria, plopping down beside Brown who sat in a corner. He liked the corner, the one that was furthest away from all the vents. For the past few days, Cyan had seen him almost exclusively over in it.

“Sheesh, he never relaxes,” Yellow said, shaking his head in obvious disgust as he took a seat by Cyan. “I will not miss him when we get back to headquarters..”

“No kidding,” Cyan muttered as Blue took a seat on his other side.

“You know what would be funny?” Yellow mused, tilting his head. “If _he_ was the Imposter, and he’s just salty that we threw his buddy out the airlock.”

Blue nodded his head in agreement as Cyan glanced back over towards Red. Somehow, he doubted it. Red was an asshole, but Cyan felt the man was too genuinely scared to be a shapeshifting alien. Still, he could be wrong.

“How’s it going out there?” Cyan asked, looking between the couple who sat beside him. Yellow and Blue had been powering through tasks. Purple and Cyan had been near them for a good couple hours and Cyan knew the two had made significant progress. It seemed a fire had been lit inside the two, and despite the lack of sleep, their team work was proving invaluable to the repair process.

“Everything is nearly done,” Yellow said and Cyan could hear the exhaustion in his voice. “Just a couple more fixes, and this ship will be fully operational.”

“Yes, and we can finally go back down to the bunks,” Blue added, a relieved note in his voice. “Honestly, I’m so sick of sleeping on the floor. My back’s really beginning to hurt.” Cyan nodded his head, rubbing at his own back.

“I’m looking forward to being able to shower again,” agreed Cyan as he reached out and carefully stacked his memorial plates into a pile, flipping the written portion down on the table. He could feel Blue staring at them, and he shifted uncomfortably as he waited for the inevitable question.

“Are those memorial plates?” Yellow asked, reaching out to tug one from Cyan’s lax grip. Cyan flushed under his helmet.

“I didn’t have anything to do,” he admitted, glancing back towards were Purple had vanished off to. “Purple’s off in the bathroom and he told me to wait here.”

“Fair enough,” Blues said, as he reached for one of the plates. Cyan flinched as he tugged Oranges out of the pile, head cocking to the side.

“Why’s there one for Orange?” His voice wasn’t suspicious, just a bit confused.

“I don’t know.” Cyan admitted, rubbing the side of his helmet. “I just… I feel bad?”

“Well, you _shouldn’t._ ” Yellow’s voice had an edge to it, and Cyan turned his head towards him, slightly surprised. He took in a breath, calming himself down as he placed a hand on the table.

“You didn’t see the body,” Yellow said simply. “A monster who’s willing to do that to… well, _anyone,_ really, is not someone who deserves to be remembered.”

“You’re right,” Cyan agreed, even though he still felt unstable. Yellow reached out to take the plate from Blue, clearly intent on breaking it. Blue swatted his hand away, holding it out of Yellow’s reach.

Hey!” protested Yellow as Blue shook his head at his partner.

“You didn’t make it, you can’t break it,” he said firmly as he lowered the plate, returning it to Cyan’s pile. Yellow folded his arms and Cyan hastily reached down in embarrassment. Paper tore as he ripped up the plate, the pieces falling on the table.

“No – no he’s right,” Cyan said, feeling oddly unsteady despite sitting down. “It’s just hard for me to think of him doing something like that. My mind doesn’t want to register it.”

Or _maybe_ his mind didn’t want to admit that he’d helped throw the other man off the ship. Even if he was evil, Cyan hadn’t enjoyed playing executioner. At least, he didn’t enjoy it now in retrospect.

Cyan had never killed a person before – honestly what normal human could say that they had? As he let the last of the plate fall to the table, a voice came from behind the group.

“We all grieve in our own ways.”

Cyan looked around to see that it had been White who had spoken. He along with Purple had approached the table. It seemed they’d overheard the conversation, and Cyan was grateful that his helmet hid the flush that threatened to crawl up his cheeks.

“I understand, Cyan,” White continued in a sympathetic voice. “It’s still hard to believe he’d do such a thing. He was part of our crew for so long.” The note of sadness in his voice was so pointed, that Cyan felt his own emotions melt away slightly. He just sounded so sorrowful, and Cyan felt an urge to comfort him.

White approached the table. He reached over Cyan’s shoulder, picking up the plate with the words _Dark Green_ clumsily scrawled across it.

Cyan felt Purple step up behind him, but he made no comment. He’d been oddly silent since they’d thrown Orange out the airlock, and Cyan was beginning to worry about him a little. Silence was certainly normal from the man, but this much of it…

“Speaking of people grieving, how do you think Brown is doing?” asked White anxiously, looking away from the plate to stare across the cafeteria.

All visors turned, helmets pointed towards were Red and Brown sat. Red, who clearly couldn’t hear them, was staring off into the void of space beyond the windows. Brown sat silently, his visor turned towards one of the walls.

“He’s not really spoken since it happened,” Blue said, looking towards Yellow.

Yellow nodded his head, before admitting, “Though, in all fairness, I haven’t seen much of him. We’ve been pretty busy.”

White fidgeted. “I admit, I’ve been a bit distracted worrying over him,” he let out a slightly anxious laugh as he added, “I think Black’s getting a bit fed up with me, if I’m honest. He doesn’t like me disappearing to go check in on Brown.”

Cyan had noticed the discourse between the two of them as well. He and Purple had walked in on them having a rather heated discussion. Neither of them had stuck around to figure out what it was about.

“I noticed Black wasn’t with you,” Yellow said, an undercurrent of amusement in his voice. “I’m surprised he’s not storming through the halls getting ready to kick your ass.”

“I think he’s eager to be done with all of this. He’s getting to the point where he’s quite willing to wander off on his own if he thinks it will mean the work gets done quicker,” White said in a distracted voice. He was still peering over at the corner where Brown sat, and Cyan saw his right-hand twitch slightly.

“It’s nice that you care so much about him,” Yellow said and Cyan could hear a soft smile in his voice. It really was heartwarming, the amount of care White had shown for Brown over the past three days since Lime had died.

Every spare second it seemed, White was over with Brown. He brought him meals and sat up with him when they were supposed to be sleeping. Cyan had woken up a couple of times to catch sight of White sitting beside Brown at a table far away from the group, hand on his shoulder and visor pointed towards him. He’d watched White’s hand move as he articulated out whatever it was he was saying to Brown.

Despite the fact that White had been assigned with Black, he’d made a point to come and check on Brown every hour or so it seemed. Despite saying that he was fine with Red looking out for him, Cyan got the feeling that White would much prefer to do the job himself. He suspected the man had only agreed to Red’s terms to keep the rather explosive crewmate calm.

“I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault,” White said quietly, folding his arms. “I was the one who offered to be his partner, and I was the one who thought we should go into Electrical and repair it. I feel responsible for his mental health.”

“You can’t blame yourself, White,” Blue said in a deep and assuring tone as he stood, walking over and placing and assuring hand on White’s shoulder. “Brown’s always been a bit more… fragile. Honestly, sooner or later I think he’d have probably entered this state regardless.”

White sighed as Yellow added in, “Yeah, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen, White. It’s not like you’re the one who killed Lime, after all.”

Cyan glanced over towards Purple who stood silently behind his right shoulder. He seemed lost in thought, as though he’d mentally checked out of the conversation.

“I appreciate you guys saying that,” White said, a slight tremor in the back of his voice. He took one more moment to stare towards Brown, before he cleared his throat. “Actually, since you’re already here… would you mind if I stole both of you?”

“What for?” Yellow asked, tilting his head to the side.

He gestured behind him, back towards the looming hall that lead to the engines. “The reactor still need to be recalibrated, and honestly with the number of vents in there, I’d rather have two people with me. Besides…” He trailed off, before lowering his voice in embarrassment. “I was hoping one of you would do it? I already tried an embarrassing amount of times, and I keep messing up the system.”

“Ugh, that stupid recalibration process is the _worst_ ,” confirmed Yellow with a sigh as his helmet turned towards Blue.

“We can help you,” Blue said, as he nodded at his partner. “We’ve gotten all of our assigned tasks done, after all.”

“You’ve already done them all?” Purple spoke for the first time, seemingly jolted from his trance by Blue’s words. Blue nodded towards him.

“Yep, me and Yellow have been speedrunning this ever since it started.” Cyan heard a hint of pride in the man’s voice as he and Yellow followed behind White. Yellow glanced behind at Cyan as they made their way towards the hall. 

“We’ll talk to you later, buddy.”

Cyan heard the nudge in his voice and he didn’t have to see his crewmates eyes to know he’d glanced over at Purple. It was clear he thought now was a good time for Cyan to make his move. Ever since he’d told the two about his feelings, they’d been urging him to share them with Purple.

Cyan wasn’t so sure about the timing of all of it, though. It had been about three sleep cycles since he, Blue and Yellow had slept together, and this thought still made him anxious. Besides, Purple seemed… distracted. Something was clearly weighing on his mind, but Cyan wasn’t sure what it might be.

As the other three retreated, Purple took a seat beside him, glancing towards Cyan’s plates. He looked over and Cyan gave a helpless shrug.

“I just feel bad,” he said simply, and Purple gave a nod.

“Fair enough.”

A voice interrupted their conversation, making Cyan flinch slightly as it radiated with irritation.

“Purple, Cyan — have either of you seen White?”

Cyan turned to see Black had come to stand in the middle of the room, just close enough that he would be able to speak with them. Cyan had noticed he’d been making a point to stay just within radio range when around people. Clearly, he didn’t trust anyone.

“He’s off with Blue and Yellow — they’re starting up the reactor,” Purple responded, pointing towards the hall that the three had just disappeared down. Black was silent for a second, before letting out a sigh and throwing his hands into the air.

“Fine, I guess that works.” He turned promptly and stomped out of the cafeteria.

Cyan watched him go, and as he did, he heard Purple mutter something under his breath. Cyan’s equipment didn’t fully pick up the soft words. He looked to him, tilting his head.

“What is it?”

Purple shook his head as he gave a loud sigh as his helmet remained angled towards where Black had disappeared.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” he said finally, looking over towards Cyan. He then glanced at the hall where White, Blue and Yellow had just disappeared down, tilting his head to the side. “You seem to be getting pretty chummy with Blue and Yellow,” he remarked.

Cyan gave a shrug of his shoulders as his cheeks burned.

“You know, I realized I never really got a chance to talk with the two. They’re really nice fellows, you know?” he said, doing his best not to be overwhelmed by the memory of being sandwiched between the two as they’d gotten dirty in the bathroom.

Purple gave a lax shrug of his shoulders.

“I suppose, but if White turns up dead, we’ll know who’s to blame.” Cyan snorted and kicked Purple in the leg, feeling a small wave of relief. There was the Purple he knew.

“Oh please, there’s no way _those_ two are responsible,” he said, full confidence in his voice.

Purple was quiet for a second, before letting out a laugh.

“I know, I know. I joke,” he replied waving a hand.

He went silent again, and Cyan felt the burning need to ask what was up.

“You’re thinking about the other Imposter, aren’t you?” he asked. Purple nodded his head, scooting in closer to Cyan.

“I’m trying to figure out who it might be,” he admitted quietly, glancing about them in a careful fashion.

“Are you so sure there is a second one?” Cyan asked. Personally, he’d been hoping that since there’d been no signs of a second Imposter, there simply might not be another one. This would negate the need to throw anyone else out of the airlock — something that Cyan would greatly appreciate. Orange’s screams still visited him every time he tried to sleep.

“I am,” Purple said, fingers tapping on the table. “But I don’t know who it might be.”

Cyan folded his arms, glancing behind him. Personally, he couldn’t imagine who could be the second Imposter. It felt like all of them had been to war together and survived, and the idea of calling out any of his crewmates left a sick pit in his stomach.

“Purple, I know you,” Cyan said softly, shaking his head. “You always have some sort of theory.”

Purple paused, before saying with a shrug of his shoulders. “It might be White.”

Cyan let out a snort of laugher. “Sure, White’s secretly a sadist alien who enjoys torturing people. Right, try again,” he said shaking his head at the absurdity of the accusation.

“He was the only one who defended Orange,” Purple pointed out. “It was a bit sus…” Cyan shook his head. “He only did that because he’s White. He’s a softy. If he had his way, he’d probably just lock the Imposters up for the rest of the trip and let Mira deal with them.”

“You know, unless he’s faking it,” Purple said and Cyan shook his head.

“No way. Pick again. Who do you really think it is?”

Purple was quiet for a second, before he let out an exhale.

“Honestly, Black or Red,” Purple confessed, once more glancing behind him back towards where Black had disappeared.

Cyan thought about this, glancing over at Red. “If it’s Red, he’s doing a shitty job,” Cyan said. “Seriously, he’s always in the cafeteria. I don’t see how it could be him.”

“Well, we don’t know he’s always in the cafeteria,” Purple pointed out. “Brown’s not exactly a reliable witness, is he?.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Cyan said, though he felt unconvinced. “But I still don’t think it's him. I mean, the man’s a grade-A dick, but an Imposter?”

“Your probably right,” Purple said, flicking out one of the plates that Cyan had left on the table. “In all honesty, I think it’s probably Black.”

“But Black’s the one who gave Orange away,” Cyan said, feeling dumbstruck. Purple nodded his head.

“I just… I have a bad feeling,” he admitted quietly. “Some things just don’t add up with him.”

“Such as…?” Cyan asked, genuinely curious.

“Well…” Purple seemed reluctant as he sat up straight, stretching out his arms. “Have you ever gotten the sense that he’s actually afraid of people onboard this ship? Everyone else is twitchy, but Black’s iron-headed. Even when he was accusing Orange, he didn’t seem afraid of him.”

Cyan tried to think back to confirm if this was true, but his mind was a blur. It felt as though all that had happened a lifetime ago.

“Also, for someone who’s a stickler for the rules,” Purple continued, drumming his fingers on the table. “He sure seems fine just wandering about without a partner now. Almost as though he’s getting desperate to get some kills in before we finish fixing the ship.”

“But he threw off Orange, and if we’re sure Orange was the other Imposter, wouldn’t that be a stupid thing to do?” Cyan protested.

Purple paused for a good long moment before he responded.

“I think that someone like Black would be fine with throwing a loose cannon like Orange off the ship, even if he was his peer. If it is him, I imagine that Orange was jeopardizing their mission and he had him taken care of.” For a second, they were silent, before Purple leaned forward and placed his helmet on the table. He let out a heavy sigh, slumping slightly.

“But maybe I’m thinking about it too hard,” he said, sounding tired. “Maybe it’s someone else. Someone who I haven’t seen do anything sus yet.”

He went quiet then and Cyan fidgeted about in his seat. Should he try confessing, he wondered? Maybe he’d just test the waters. Purple seemed tired, and he wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

“So, what do you think about Blue and Yellow?” he asked, feeling a bit flustered by his own question. It was clumsy — an attempt to try one last time and see if he risked getting punched in the face by Purple if he asked the man out.

Purple looked over towards him and he could hear surprise in the other man’s voice.

“I… I don’t think they’re guilty at all? Why? Do you know something about the two of them?”

Cyan choked, waving his hands frantically as he realized what he’d just implied. “ _Oh._ No, not like that! I meant what do you think about them in terms of the two of them.”

“I mean, I’m lukewarm on them, to be truthful,” Purple said, sounding beyond confused. “There fine I suppose, I don’t really know them.” Cyan could almost feel Purple’s eyes narrowing in suspicion as he asked. “Why do you care all of a sudden?”

Cyan opened his mouth, before closing it again and shaking his head.

“You know what, never mind. It was a stupid question,” he said waving his hand at Purple.

“You didn’t see something that made you suspicious of them, did you?” Purple asked, and Cyan heard worry in his voice.

“Oh no, not in the slightest.” Cyan said, letting out a laugh. “Actually, if either of them were the Imposter, they’d have already had the prefect chance to end me.”

“Really? When?” Purple asked innocently and Cyan choked slightly.

“Uh, well, you see… we all ran into each other in the bathroom a couple days back,” Cyan said, before he could shut his dumb mouth.

“You met up in the bathroom? What are you, a high schooler?” Purple demanded, sounding amused. “What the hell were you three up to?”

“Talking! Lots of talking!” Cyan said, glad his helmet was hiding away his blush. “But we were in there for a while, and I’m pretty sure I’d be dead and gone if either of them were out to kill someone, you know?”

“Well, it has to be _someone_ ,” Purple said, staring over towards Red and Brown and Cyan could tell that he as once again sinking back into the funk that had held him for the last couple days. Cyan thought for a second, before he smiled.

“Hey Purple, have you considered the idea that maybe I am the Imposter?”

Purple gave a peal of disbelieving laughter.

“Really Cyan?” he demanded, turning to fully face the other. “Really?

“What?” Cyan said, holding up his hands. “I was the last one with Dark Green,” he pointed out, stumbling over the name a bit. Even though he was joking about it, the reality of what happened still burned like a brand in his mind. “Maybe it really _was_ me. Maybe I’m just devious.”

“Hmmm,” Purple said, nodding his head. “Interesting observation. Maybe I’d believe it if Orange hadn’t really wanted to get you thrown out the airlock.”

“Ah, that does make my story fall through slightly,” admitted Cyan, rubbing the back of his neck. Purple snorted with laughter before pressing his hands together and peering over at Cyan.

“But since we’re on this train of thought.. consider this, Cyan. What if it’s _me?_ ”

“That’s not funny, you fucking dumbass,” Cyan said as he shoved Purple hard, making him fall out of his seat. He hit the ground laughing as Cyan threw a Styrofoam cup at his head. Purple laughed harder as he cup bounced off his helmet.

“There’s no way it’s you, and you know it,” Cyan said, shaking his head.

“Oh yeah, what’s your proof?” Purple said, pushing himself off the ground and standing at his full height. “I don’t know, Cyan. I think I’m pretty sus.”

Cyan scoffed and waved a hand.

“Oh please, if you were the Imposter, I would be so dead by now. You’d have just let your buddy Orange throw me out the airlock.”

“Hmmm, maybe.” Purple said as he sat back down. “Of course, maybe I just like you.”

Cyan felt his heart skip a beat, suddenly listening very intently to Purple’s words. “Oh? You like me enough to leave me alive, even if you were an Imposter?”

“What the _hell_ are you two talking about over there!?”

Red’s voice cut through the conversation, and Cyan felt the urge to strangle the man rise in his chest.

“Would you mind your business, Red?!” he yelled back over the table at the other man. Red folded his arms and Purple shook his head.

“We should probably get back to tasks — we’re almost done,” he said, standing up. Cyan nodded his head, letting out an exhale of breath.

Almost done… it was almost over.

**************************

Yellow leaned over the reactor calibrator, letting out an irritated sigh.

“I hate this so much,” he said, glancing back at Blue and White, who stood behind him. “Be honest, White — did you even try to do this? Or did you just trick Blue and me over here so that you didn’t have to deal with it?”

White gave an innocent shrug as Blue snickered.

“You lost rock-paper-scissors, Yellow, stop whining,” his boyfriend said, his voice slightly mocking. Yellow flipped him the bird as he turned back to the flashing lights. He pressed down and the screen beeped red.

“MOTHERFUCKER!” Yellow snapped and Blue began to laugh.

“Is everything okay Yellow?” White asked, and Yellow could hear the grin in his voice. Yellow spun around to see his boyfriend Blue clap the other man on the back shaking his head solemnly.

“Oh, he probably just messed up the sequence… _again_.”

“You both suck,” Yellow informed them, turning his back to them again. “Goddamn it, now I have to start all over!” As he reached down to start again, the shriek of alarms caused him to jerk back. “What the hell?” Yellow straightened up turning to see White and Blue looking about in obvious apprehension.

“That’s the O2 alarm,” White said, his voice breathless.

“Well, that settles whether we’ve still got an Imposter on the ship,” Blue said as he and White turned, both of them running for the door. Yellow did not move, his eyes returning back to the screen.

“Yellow, come on!” Blue yelled to him. “What are you doing.?”

“Just go fix the alarm,” Yellow said, waving the two off. “I’ve got to finish this.” He was sweating, but his brow had knitted in determination. He had to finish this — this was one of the last tasks left.

“You don’t need me to fix O2, I’ll be fine,” he insisted.

“Blue, we have to go!” White called out from somewhere in the hallway beyond. Yellow looked over to see Blue standing at the door. He seemed torn and Yellow frantically shooed him away.

“Blue, me fixing this reactor is going to mean jack shit if none of us can breathe!”

Blue lingered at the door, before nodding his head. “I’ll be right back Yellow! Keep an eye on the vents!”

**************************

“What in the hell is that?” Cyan demanded, stumbling back into Purple. The two of them had just gotten up when the whole room had filled with the awful noise. It shrieked through Cyan’s head, making his heart race as he stared about in a panic.

“That’s the O2,” Purple said. “We’ve been sabotaged.”

Cyan felt his mouth go dry, his stomach sinking as the weight of that reality sunk in.

“There’s another Imposter,” Cyan said to himself, feeling panic welling up inside of him. “Purple, there’s another Imposter on board.”

“We can worry about that later,” Purple yanked at his arm, tugging him towards the hallway that lead down to admin. “We have to stabilize it, come on!”

Cyan obeyed, glancing back towards the cafeteria. He noted that Brown’s hands were clasped to his helmet, Red making no effort to move as he stared about wildly.

As Cyan and Purple came to the entrance of Admin, they nearly collided with Blue and White. The two groups looked at one another and for a split second, no one said anything.

“Cyan, deal with this one!” Purple yelled, at the exact same time that Blue said, “I’ll get this one, you go to the other one.”

In a second everyone was moving again. Cyan and Blue headed into admin, while Purple and White both rushed passed them heading back down into storage.

It was an odd thing to do, Cyan registered somewhere in the back of his mind. He could have sworn that cutting through the cafeteria was the fastest way to get up to the other O2 location. Why had the two to of them decided to cut through storage?

Of course, everyone was panicking, he realized as he and Blue ran into the room. They passed the glowing table, making their way towards the keypad on the far side of the room.

“Shit, do you know the numbers to stop this are?” Cyan asked frantically. Blue nodded his head, hands scrabbling at the keypad.

He typed them in, hitting enter. They keypad gave a harsh beep.

“Oh shit, maybe I don’t.” Blue sounded terrified and Cyan hastily moved forward, rooting through his head.

“Hold up, maybe it’s this,” he said as he tried to recall what Dark Green had told all of them. All of them were supposed to know the numbers to reset oxygen. Cyan was sure he’d known it by heart about three weeks ago, but unfortunately it was no longer three weeks ago.

Still, he hastily punched in the numbers and by some miracle he heard the thing give a confirming beep. “Oh, thank Christ.” Cyan said as Blue let out a sharp exhale of air.

“Now they just have to get to the other one,” Blue said, clapping Cyan on the shoulder. “Damn am I happy you came in here with me. I don’t know if I would have remembered in time.”

As he said this, the alarm suddenly cut off and all was once more quiet. Cyan breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis had been averted. He turned to see that Blue still seemed to be a bit worked up.

“I left Yellow in reactor,” he explained, turning around and heading towards the door. “I need to get back to him quickly.”

Cyan nodded in understanding, his eyes glancing towards their exit. He felt his mouth grow dry as he stared at it, not fully believing what he was seeing. Blue too had stopped and though Cyan couldn’t see his face, he suspected the man wore a look of horror.

“The door closed,” Blue said, his voice panicked. “Why did the door close?”

Cyan joined him as the two of them rushed to the door, frantically banging on it. Their pounding was in vain, however — the metal contraption that was blocking their exit wasn't budging in the slightest.

“No, no, no, no!” Blue’s voice was full of panic. “Yellow’s out there! He’s alone!” Cyan placed his hand on the door, taking in gasps of air.

“It’s okay,” he said in a slightly shaky voice, sweat staining the inside of his helmet.. “The others are still out there…”

“That is not comforting!” Blue snarled, his voice harsh. “One of them did this, and whoever it was is definitely _not_ locked inside this room right now!”

He had a point, but before Cyan could really think about it too hard, his eyes darted towards the side of the door. His gaze fell on something that made his heart skip a beat.

“Blue…” he said anxiously as Blue continued to pound his fists on the door. Blue ignored him, so Cyan spoke louder. “Blue, there’s a vent in here!” Blue’s head turned, his fists slowing to a stop as he stared at where Cyan was looking.

“ _Shit,_ ” he swore, staring from the vent to the door. It was probably just his imagination, but Cyan could almost hear something scuttling through the air ducts. Something moving with inhuman flexibility, as it made its way towards them.

“Blue, we need to block the vent!”

That was all Cyan said as he launched himself from the door and towards the metal grate in the floor. He flung himself on top of it, sitting down and trapping whatever might have been coming out beneath him.

Blue gave a curse before frantically running to join him. He threw himself down, pressing down onto the grate as the two of them stayed in place.

“How long are we going to stay like this?” Blue demanded. Cyan took in a deep breath.

“Until that door opens back up — that’s how long.”

Beneath him, he heard something shift. He was unsure if it was simply a normal sound from the ventilation below him, or some malevolent presence reaching fingers up to grab him. Either way, he wanted nothing to do with it, so carefully he focused on being heavy, praying that he wouldn’t suddenly feel the push of tentacles as something inhuman attempted to force its way into the room.

**************************

Black came to a screeching halt, nearly colliding with the door as it slammed in his face. He stared about his surroundings wildly, his breath coming in frantic gulps. Someone was either dead or dying — Black had known that the moment he’d finished doing O2 by himself.

At first, he’d just thought people were being flippant about it, as he’d stood alone frantically entering in the code he’d memorized into the keypad in front of him. But as he’d stood there, taking in deep breaths of air an unshakable reality began to overpower him.

If he was alone in this room, there had to be a reason. Something was happening, someone was dying. So he’d run, his feet taking him forward. His mind, drowsy with a lack of sleep and riddled with paranoia began to consider the options.

Cyan and Purple had been together, Red and Brown were likely still in cafeteria. Blue, Yellow and White had been over at reactor, they’d been starting it up.

What if one of them had stayed behind? White… had he stayed? Black’s mind was crowding with panic as he ran forward at a steady clip. He knew where he was going, where he had to go. It was as he ran by the lower engine that disaster struck. He heard it before he saw it, the doors slamming shut, blocking him in with the lower engine.

He staggered to a halt, looking behind to see that he was fully trapped.

“Shit!” he swore, looking back towards the far corner. There was a vent there, he knew there was a vent there. But where they after him? Or had they just closed all the doors?

Black stepped back, staring around. He couldn’t stay here, even if it meant breaking the ship, he _couldn’t stay here_. He looked about, frantically trying to figure out what to do. Could he short out the door? Maybe make it unjam?

As these thoughts pulsed through his head, he felt an odd, muffled voice crackle slightly in his helmet.

“ _Hey wait… you…?_ ”

Most of the words were lost to static, but Black recognized Yellow’s voice in an instant. His head turned back and forth, before he realized that Yellow must be through the door to the reactor. He sprinted forward, heart beating wildly as he listened hard.

Black was not close with anyone on board the ship. He respected White’s leadership abilities the same way he’d respected Dark Green’s, but he wouldn’t have called anyone on board a friend. However, the last thing Black wanted was for one more innocent person to die.

He knew the others saw him as callous… and maybe he was. But he’d never wanted anyone to die, he just wanted them to all hurry up! He’d risked his own life wandering the halls, agreed to stick with Orange and when he’d accused Cyan he’d been sure he was right.

Yellow was not alone in the reactor, and Black felt fairly sure that whatever had joined him was not the person he thought it was. Black was at the door in a second, slamming his fists against the solid metal thing.

“Shit! Yellow! Can you hear me?” Black yelled into his mic, but there was nothing but a crackling silence.

**************************

Back in the cafeteria, Brown sat crouched behind a table. He rocked back and forth. Red, who had been crouching nearby watched him, felt he might have the right idea.

“Holy shit,” he muttered to himself, standing up and shaking his head. “Holy shit, there’s another one on board.”

He’d been hoping that everyone else was wrong. Been hoping that Orange had been the only one. Red took in a breath as he realized that he really ought to go and see if someone was in the process of being killed.

He anxiously glanced down over at Brown.

“You doing all right there, nutcase?” he asked. Brown did not respond, arms clasping his own shoulders. He was muttering, low and quickly, and it was freaking Red out.

“BROWN! Would you stop freaking out! The alarm’s off, weirdo!” Red wanted to hit him, if only to get him to speak. Brown had been eerily silent for the last couple of days. Red wasn’t sure if White had even gotten him to talk, despite his constant efforts.

Brown did not respond to Red’s yells, and Red decided to back away. Red had no idea how to handle whatever it was that Brown was going through. His steps came to a halt as he looked off to either side of him.

“Oh shit…”

He was locked in. Completely and utterly locked in.

“Shit, Shit, SHIT!” he swore, panic unfolding in his mind.

This was it — they were coming for him. He had no idea who it was, but whoever it was, they’d decided they were going to kill Red. Maybe it was Cyan — he still suspected the man.

Well, Red wasn’t going down without a fight. He ran forward, hastily crawling up onto the table that had the emergency button. He was about to press it, to slam his hand down on it and alert the others.

But then he paused.

If he waited, waited for them to come, then he’d know. He’d know who the last imposter was and they could _finally_ get that person off the ship. Red could be a hero. He glanced back towards Brown, questioning for a second if it really was the small man, before he dismissed the thought from his mind. Brown was insane, but he wasn’t a killer.

“The first sign of movement,” he said quietly to himself. “The first sign of movement, and I’ll know exactly which one of these motherfuckers are sus.”

He hovered over the button, tensed as he waited for his moment.

**************************

“And there it is!” Yellow clapped his hands together happily as he straightened out, the reactor giving a happy beep. “And would you look at that, O2 has been taken care of.”

It had been a painful process to be sure. The bastard thing had made him restart four times while he had been messing with it, and with each restart he could feel himself slowly starting to lose his mind. He had just about reached the point where he was ready to punch a wall when the damn thing finally decided to work.

He dusted off his hands, turning around and giving a start.

“White, when did you show up?” he asked, surprised to see the other man.

“Only a couple of seconds ago,” he replied, and Yellow could hear the smile in his voice.

“Looks like O2 got fixed,” Yellow said, walking by him.

“It did indeed — though there seems to be a problem.”

“Oh?” Yellow asked as he stepped out into the hall. He came to a stop, realizing that where entrances normally were, doors now blocked his path.

“ _What?_ ” Yellow felt his heart rate pick up slightly as he stared about the locked doors.

His brow furrowed as he glanced over at White. “Hey, wait, how did you get in here, then?”

“I walked in just as they closed,” White said, sounding very unbothered by the locked doors. Yellow shrugged, walking back into the reactor. He heard an odd jump of static in his helmet. For a second, he wondered if it was a voice, but dismissed as a worrying thought suddenly entered his mind.

“White, where is Blue?” he asked, fear rising inside of him.

“With Cyan,” White said, and Yellow felt a wave of relief. Out of everyone his boyfriend could have gotten stuck with, he felt that Cyan was a pretty safe bet.

Still, if the doors were locked…

“Well, lucky we got trapped in here together,” Yellow commented as he walked over to White. “If there’s two of us, it should make it harder for the Imposter.”

White did not respond, his helmet turned towards the side of the room.

“Yellow, listen,.” he said, his voice still eerily calm.

Something about him caused some instinct in the corner of Yellow’s mind to act up. It was though ghostly voices were screaming out a warning to him. Screaming at him to get away from the man.

But this was White, and Yellow trusted White. Everyone trusted White. Besides, the doors were locked. Where exactly could he go?

“What am I listening for?” he asked. White did not respond, so Yellow went quiet, listening hard. His surroundings were muted by the helmet he wore about his head, but as he stood there, something reached his ears. It was a banging, the sound of someone not bothering to be quiet.

His eyes found the vent over near the upper engine room and he stared at it as he slowly realized that the sounds must be coming from it. He took a step back, his heart thudding.

“Oh shit…” he backed up, but White reached up, grabbing his arm.

“Wait.”

Yellow looked over towards White in disbelief. Why the hell did the man want him to wait? “White, we have to leave!” Yellow hissed. White turned to look at him.

“Yellow, where do you want us to go?” he had a point — they were blocked in.

The grate of the vent popped open, and Yellow focused back on it. He stared as he watched a hand emerge from it, his mouth falling open as he watched the thing rise from the grate. The man pulled himself from the vent, dark visor finding Yellow in a second. It took him a second, but as he stared, Yellow finally registered what color the spacesuit was of the astronaut who’d just joined them. He felt the breath leave his lungs as his heart seemed to freeze in his chest.

“Purple, is that _you?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, it's totally Purple. Cyan honey, you've got a big storm coming. Also, thoughts and prayers for Yellow cause he's in for a rough time.


	8. Vent Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yellow finds out just how tight the vents really are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions for this chapter:  
> A blanket  
> A cup of something nice and soothing  
> A box of tissues.  
> A brick to throw at me after you're done reading this and want to kill me...  
> In all seriousness, please remember this has Dead Dove Do Not Eat tagged in it and I really don't want to accidentally trigger anyone. I'm going to draw peoples attention back to the tags "torture" and "claustrophobia", so just keep that in mind. It's probably not as bad as my mind's making it out to be, but better safe than sorry.  
> Otherwise, enjoy!

Yellow was in abject shock as he stared at Purple. The man had extracted himself from the vent and was now standing beside it. Even though Yellow couldn’t see his face, he could feel the man’s eyes on him as he tilted his head in an idle fashion.

How was Purple an Imposter? How was that even possible? Even as he thought this though, the idea that Purple would be among those trying to get them all killed seemed more and more likely. After all, Purple had done a good job at staying out of everyone’s sus, but he’d had ample opportunity.

Still, Yellow’s mind rebelled. Even though he’d just seen him pop out of a vent, his mind ran down a list of reasons it couldn’t be Purple.

Purple just wasn’t the sort. Sure, he could be grumpy and was a bit moody, but he was nice enough. Yellow had spoken with him from time to time while they’d been onboard the Skeld and he’d always had a good opinion of him. Perhaps he was brusque, maybe a bit meaner than he needed to be on occasion, but the amount of cruelty it would take to do what had been done to Pink… to Lime… surely the man wasn’t capable of that?

He was so sure in those first few seconds that it couldn’t be Purple, that he felt a laugh bubbling up in the back of his throat.

It was hysterical, terrified, but it was still a laugh. “Purple, what are you doing in the vents?” He asked, putting a hand on his hip as he shook his head. “I mean, you know how that looks right? Honestly, if this is a prank you two suck.”

He said this, even as the logical part of his mind reminded him that Purple was far too large to go crawling through the vents. Purple was by no means a small man and Yellow had heard him as he’d approached. He’d come from somewhere deep inside the vent.

White laughed from behind him and for a moment Yellow felt relief as he turned to look at the man. The man was cackling and Yellow truly began to wonder if this really was some sort of awful prank the two had put together. Sure, it did seem a bit off brand for Purple, but the other option was far to horrifying for Yellow to consider at that moment.

The man beside Yellow took in a breath, as his laughter finally stopped and he pointed and accusing finger at the man by the vent. “Yeah Purple, what are you? An imposter or something?”

White’s voice was sharper than Yellow was used to. There was a zing to it that he’d never heard before, an edge that made Yellow’s skin crawl in discomfort. Still, he was clearly amused by this situation and Yellow considered this a good sign.

So he let out another laugh as well, feeling his breathing steading slightly. He was almost convinced that this was all a big misunderstanding. That was, until Purple spoke.

**“I might be.”**

Purple offered and Yellow stopped laughing abruptly at the sound of his voice. How to describe it. He’d never heard anything like it before. It was feral, yet somehow distorted. Like someone had turned up the bass on a corrupted audio file, distorting fuzz creeping in at the edges of it. It rung in his head in a fashion he’d never experienced prior to this moment and any hope he’d had that this was some sort of prank crumbled away as he stared at the man, sweat building on his brow. No human could have made a sound like that.

**“But it would be stupid of me then, to jump both of you,”** Purple said, his voice oddly pointed as he shifted his weight. **“Only an _idiot_ jumps two people at the same time. The chances of someone getting away and playing witness are just too high.” **He seemed to be trying to make a point, but Yellow had no idea what it might be.

Yellow stood stalk still, torn between backing closer to White and running at Purple. His fear had somewhat dissipated, and in its place a white-hot rage began to overtake him. He knew he should be terrified, but the thought of what the monster hidden away in the shadows had done to Pink…

His fists balled as he stared Purple down. “You’re going to fucking regret this!” He snarled through gritted teeth. “You’ll rot in hell for what you’ve done.”

**“Maybe,”** Purple said, as he took a step forward, come further into the hazy light of the thrumming reactor room. **“Maybe I’ll pay for what I’ve done. Maybe you’ll go rat me out to the other crewmates.”** He paused, tapping a finger on the side of his helmet. The dull noise frayed Yellow’s nerves as he felt his heartrate speeding up with each second. **“Unless of course, by some chance, White is the other Imposter. Then I’d think the only one who’s going to regret this is you.”**

Yellow let out a bark of a laugh. It was short lived though as an eerie silence stretched out behind him. Slowly, painfully he turned, looking up into the other man’s visor. “White… you’re, you’re not right?” White turned his head towards Yellow and as he did, Yellow watched as his spacesuit began to twitch as though something was awakening inside of it. The fabric rippled as something twisted inside of it.

**“I’d hate to lie to you Yellow.”**

White’s voice was no longer as it should be. It had become a lot like Purple’s. Deep and vibrating as the man spoke. Unlike Purple though, he could still hear a subtle soft pitch meshing in White’s words. Like bird song mixed with a growling bear.

Yellow looked between them. His head turning from White to Purple, then back to White as his thoughts sorted themselves out. Finally, with an effort he managed to find the words trapped deep in his throat.

“You absolute bastards,” he whispered, staring at them in disbelief. “Orange was innocent.”

**“Well, he wasn’t one of us,”** White said as he shook his head. Yellow watched in fasciation and horror as his arms seemed to lengthen slightly, his gloves bulging as the body rearranged itself beneath the suit. **“But to call him innocent would be doing him a disservice.”**

White leaned and Yellow backed away hastily from him as he spoke in a mock whisper. **“To tell you the truth, I’m pretty certain his blood lust was a match for any Imposter.”**

“You killed Pink.” Yellow said, feeling as though he was going into shock.

**“Selling us a bit short there.”** Chided White as he folded his arms. Yellow could almost see the grin under the helmet as he spoke his next words. **“After all, we didn’t just _kill_ Pink did we?”**

Yellow’s mouth went dry and he felt a sudden urge to cry out for Blue. But Blue wasn’t here. Blue had gone with White and…

His heart stopped in a sudden burst of fear. “Where’s Blue!” He took several steps towards White, his posture as threatening as he could make it. He may have been several inches shorter and human, but he was mad.

White took a step back, clearly surprised by his actions as Yellow felt rage building up inside of him. “What the fuck did you do to Blue! I swear to god if you hurt him, I’ll, I’ll…” Yellow wasn’t sure what he’d do, but he was determined it would be something bad.

White tilted his head at Yellow’s outburst as Purple took a couple steps into the room, the vent still open behind him. “ **Well aren’t you fiery?”** White laughed, shaking his head.

**“Little sluts worried about who’s going to plow him if we’ve turned his boy toy into sliced meat.”** Purple snapped, a sudden malice dripping from his voice as though Yellow had somehow personally offended him with his words.

“Fuck you.” Yellow snarled, but his words were a bit faint. Hearing Purple say something like that, it just fucked with his mind. This couldn’t be the Purple he knew, it just couldn’t. Nothing about how this Purple was behaving made any sense to him.

Purple laughed at his threat, a cold cruel sound that made shivers run up the man’s spine. **“Yellow,”** Purple said, cocking his head. **“Of course you’re going to fuck me. Don’t you remember what happened to Pink?”** Yellow let these words sink in, before it finally dawned on him just what sort of danger he was in. He had been so focused on being angry at the injustice his crewmates his suffered, he hadn’t stopped to think what the two might have planned for him.

He felt the breath leave his chest and suddenly he was scared again. The image of what Pink’s body had looked like clawed into the forefront of his mind and he felt a sudden clenching in his stomach. He stared between Purple and White, the fear building up into an overwhelming tidal wave.

“No…” He shook his head, taking a couple steps back, his gaze darting between White and Purple as he tried to keep both of them in sight. “No, I’ll scream! Someone will hear me!”

**“Pink screamed to,”** Purple mocked. **“And look how far it got him.”**

**“Trust me Yellow.”** White said as a large mouth split across his middle, gleaming teeth shining as a massive tongue lolled out from the depths. **“Imposters do it better than any human.”** Yellow was terrified. He didn’t want to end up like Pink, like Lime. “I won’t let you…” Yellow croaked, fear stealing away his voice as his muscles tensed.

With the speed of someone on the edge, he turned, darting around White. He felt the Imposter’s hands graze his back, but they failed to find purchase. In a second he had burst through the threshold between the reactor and the hallway, skidding to a stop as he looked about frantically. For a second he stood there confused as his eyes informed him that there were no exits. In his panic he’d forgotten that the Imposters’ had locked the doors on him.

**“Yellow, where do you think you’re going?”** White called out after him. **“We’re all locked in here together, no one’s coming to save you.”** Yellow ran upwards to the door that lead to upper engine. He pounded his fists against it, hoping against all odds that somehow he could trigger it into opening. 

“BLUE, I’M IN REACTOR! IT’S WHITE AND PURPLE, THEY’VE GOT ME TRAPPED! HELP!”

He felt his voice crack at some point during his screaming, hands battering against the closed door. For a second, he thought he might have a chance. He thought that someone might hear him. Then, firm hands fastened about his middle. He let out a yelp as his feet left the floor.

White had come from behind, flinging Yellow over his shoulders as though the man was a sack of potatoes. Yellow let out a scream of rage and fear as he fought hard against the grip, but it was no use. White was impossibly strong, his grip like iron as he casually turned on his heel and walked back towards the reactor.

**“Yellow we all know you’re a _slut_ , just get back here and enjoy yourself!”** Purple growled, sounding oddly angry as his voice echoed out from the reactor room.

Yellow did not respond as he continued to thrash. It was no use though as White stepped back into reactor, Yellow still firmly on his shoulders.

**“You know, he’s pretty small.”** White commented, his hand gripping tight to Yellow’s thigh to keep him in place. **“Think he’d fit down there?”** Yellow head snapped back and to his horror, he saw that White was pointing at the vent that Purple had just popped out of.

**“You want to fuck him in the vents?”** Purple asked. White nodded and Purple seemed to think about it for a second, before he let out a harsh laugh. **“Why not? I can hurt him easier if he can’t move.”**

Yellow didn’t get time to react as he watched Purple hop back inside the vent. In what felt like a second, White and him were beside it as well. Yellow was heaved forward. As his feet hit the shallow metal, he felt his heart leap into his throat as he stared up at White. For a second, a small part of him urged him to try and reason with White.

“Don’t…” He began, his mind was a blur of panic, pain, and betrayal. Even as he said this though, he felt a painfully tight grip around his ankles as his feet were yanked from under him.

Even as he felt the tightness of the vent beginning to compress in around him, Yellow realized the likelihood of him ever getting to see the reactor room again was minuscule. He looked about it with wide eyes, before he felt the pain of being compressed down in a fashion as he was dragged into a space that could barely accommodate him.

The reason Imposters were the only ones who could fit through the vents was because of the size of the metal gratings. They were two feet wide and three feet in height, allowing for steady airflow through the ship. Far to small for the average crewmate to fit in.

Sure, Yellow was indeed smaller than the average crewmate and he was also skinny. But he was still a full-grown adult and under normal circumstances, Yellow was sure he wouldn’t have been able to fit inside the vent.

Yet the unrelenting force that was Purple was making him. Yellow felt his chest compress as he was forcefully dragged deeper, the rough edges where the grate had been welded together tearing at his spacesuit as he felt the overwhelming panic of someone who has been trapped in a claustrophobic environment.

Everything was dark, the light in his helmet doing nothing to illuminate his horrible surroundings. Yellow’s arms were trapped out in front of him as he was dragged on his stomach, each anomaly in the metal beneath him causing him pain. He took in short staccato breaths, the only sort he could manage in such a closed in environment.

Then, the tugging stopped, and Yellow was left wedged tight and unable to move. His inhalations came in short frantic gasps, as he felt the weight of the entire ship surrounding him. Thousands of pounds of metal holding him in place, crushing his ribs and compressing his lungs.

For a second, it was just him and the metal walls. The dark around him was silent and as he lay their gasping, he remembered a story he’d heard once upon a time. Back on earth, there was a famous story about a caver who’d gotten stuck. Floyd Collins was his name.

Floyd Collins had become trapped in a narrow crawlway while attempting to enlarge a small passage in a cave called Sand Cave. He was seventeen meters underground when he’d gotten stuck, and a massive rescue operation had been sent to try and free him.

For the first four days, Floyd had had food and water brought to him as people tried to unwedge him from the rocks. Then, a rock collapse closed the entrance and stranded him. It didn’t kill him, however. For two weeks, the outside world had maintained voice contact with Floyd as he slowly died of hunger and thirst, trapped right out of their sight.

Yellow had read the story when he was back in high school and back then it had seemed like the worst way to die. Trapped just out of sight from the people who loved you as you slowly faded. In that moment, he was Floyd Collins, trapped in a sandstone cave.

The difference here though was that he wished no one knew he was there.

He could hear them before he felt them, moving about in front and behind them. The slithering of many moving inhuman parts erupted through the air on either side and he couldn’t help but scream. He screamed even as his mind begged him to stop, questioning how much air could really be in such a tight environment.

**“Shut the fuck up Yellow, no one can hear you down here.”** Purple snapped. He sounded disgusted by Yellows wails.

**“Oh Look at you Yellow,”** White murmured. **“All tucked away and out of sight.”**

White was right in front of Yellow and even though he couldn’t see him, he could feel him. The metal vibrated as many squirming things moved across it, slick, wet and squirming. Yellow shut his eyes tight as he felt something grab his helmet. He heard cracking as a pressure began to exert on the outside of it as the distorted and muffled voice of Purple spoke from behind.

**“At least now we won’t have to pin him down, he seems pretty wedged.”** He paused, then added with sharp note of sick amusement to his voice **. “Can you move at all Yellow?”**

The words were mocking, and they were followed by a searing pain as something stabbed into Yellow’s ass. As the blade of a knife cut through his suit, serrating his flesh Yellow let out a scream. His body frantically fought to get away from the blade, but even with the extra adrenaline, he found he couldn’t move in the slightest, the metal of the walls holding him firmly in place.

**“I’ll stop if you move.”**

Purple offered, his blade digging into Yellow again and again. Even as the agonizing pain of it overwhelmed him, Yellow realized that the damage being done wasn’t very deep. Purple’s movements were precise, his blade digging about a half inch in with each strike. Not nearly deep enough to cause any real damage, but enough to put Yellow in anguish.

“Stop!” Yellow shrieked, feeling hot blood pulsing from him as he fought to move. “I can’t move goddamn it!”

The metal around him did not give as he struggled and his bones gave an ominous crack, warning him that if he kept trying they’d slip from their designated spots. Tears splattered the inside of his helmet, drool spilling from between his lips as he panted heavily, bracing himself for more pain.

To his amazement though, Purple’s assault stopped. He felt the Imposter’s hand rubbing up and down the inside of Yellow’s thigh. This surprise only held for a second, before a shattering sound overtook his ears as his helmet burst about him, a powerful force tearing the broken remains from his head. He could hear the metal warping as it did so, bending as some powerful force took hold of it.

**“There we go, no helmet.”** White cooed and he felt a hand slide under his chin with this announcement. **“That will give you a bit more room to move.”** There was crunching of shattered glass as he heard White scoot closer.

Yellow kept his eyes tightly shut and would have stayed like that, but the claws about his chin tightened, cutting into his skin as White spoke in a voice that was still frightenedly gentle. **“Open your eyes Yellow.”**

Though he didn’t want to, Yellow obliged. The lights that still shown about the rim of his spacesuit illuminated the interior of the vent around him, glinting off the nightmare in front of him. The only thing still looked like White was the hand cupping his chin. Everything else had dissolved down into a massive of writhing flesh, teeth and limbs. As the body rose slightly, he found himself confronted with a massive mouth, a tongue lolling out to one side as White spoke again.

**“And now you can see me. I’m quite the sight, yes?”**

“Why are you doing this?” Yellow whispered as he felt Purple begin to lazily tearing fabric from his bloodied ass. With each strip he ripped, the more exposed Yellow became, and he feared what would happen once the last strip was gone.

**“What’s wrong Yellow, I though you enjoyed groups of three?”**

Strangely, Purple sounded annoyed. As though Yellow had done something that had royally pissed the Imposter off. For the life of him, Yellow couldn’t put together what he was hinting at as White stroked his sweaty hair back, running fingers that had now stretched and morphed into bloody claws through his hair.

“I d… don’t understand.” He whimpered, gasping as White’s hand moved to his cheek. His fingers traced to Yellow’s lips, before with cruel intent he forcefully pushed them into the man’s mouth. Yellow gagged, but found that he was to paralyzed to try and bite at White.

**“Purple’s quite sour if you haven’t noticed.,** White tutted reaching fingers deeper into Yellow’s mouth. The sharp tips traced along his tongue as the mass that was White leaned in and spoke in a more conspiratorial tone. “ **He won’t admit it, he’s mad you got to play with his buddy first.”**

White slipped his fingers loose from Yellow’s mouth, allowing him to hack, gag, and then give a shriek as Purple dug clawed fingers into his rump hard. **“Can it up there White!”** He growled, sounding genuinely enraged by White’s words. The hideous mass of flesh and tentacles that was White gave a laugh at his companions clear anger.

Yellow’s frantic mind began to slowly put the pieces together and he felt his heart give a twist when his mind presented him with the solved puzzle. So, he thought, feeling sick to his stomach, Purple did like Cyan. He liked him quite a bit it sounded like, and he was also possessive… This did not bode well for Yellow. Not for him, or for Cyan for that matter.

“Well I didn’t know! How was I supposed to know! How were any of us supposed to know!” Yellow felt like he might pass out has his breaths became hard. He panted, struggling once more against his surroundings as White let out another laugh in front of him.

**“Oh shut it.”** Purple snapped from behind him and Yellow felt a tentacle roughly jab at his ass. **“Just be a good little slut and hold still. From what I’ve seen, you like it rough.”** Yellow took in a sharp breath as the first tentacle writhed inside him.

It was unlike anything he’d ever felt. It shoved into him with vicious intent, seeking deeper and deeper inside as he let out a reluctant moan. Even in this cramped and horrible situation, he’d be lying if he said he found the tentacle entirely unpleasant. Violating and emotionally scarring, yes, but physically its rough squirming caused a throb of pleasure to arch through him.

The squirming mass of White moved forward, large teeth rising to greet him as a tongue whipped out in front of it. **“See, now you’re getting into the spirit of things Yellow.”** White said, his voice approving. Yellow shut his eyes, shaking his head as his body rebelled against him. The tentacle inside of him was so deep now and he wondered just how deep Purple intended to go with it.

**You know, if you behave we might let you go.”** Offered White, his tone oddly sincere. Every instinct inside of Yellow assured him that the Imposter was lying, but at the same time it was like offering a dying man water. He wanted to believe White so bad, that against all logic, he found himself nodding his head.

“How can I misbehave?” Yellow questioned. “I’m pinned in a vent!” He could actively feel his mind blocking out the images of Pink’s body. He needed to believe that maybe these two would let him go. He hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to Blue… he couldn’t just die down here.

**“Just relax and let us play with you.”** White said in a teasing voice. **“Let Purple have his way with you. Maybe he’ll forgive you.”** Yellow whimpered as he felt the tentacle continue to work him roughly. “Will he?” Yellow whispered, feeling any fire of resistance slowly dying.

**“After you prolapse, then I might consider it.”** Purple said, the rhythm of his tentacle become a hair smoother. Yellow let out a sob as his body stiffened. He’d never prolapsed before, but he’d heard from friends that it was not a pretty sight.

He knew that there were some that caused it to happen on purpose, but Yellow had never been that hardcore. The thought of it filled him with dread, but he found he was reluctant to respond negatively to Purple. He felt the tentacle pull from inside of him and he let out a gasp as it exited. Purple’s voice floated up to him, his words taunting. **“You’re fine with that right? If I make your insides your outsides?”**

“I… Okay… Just let me go.” Yellow muttered defeated as he allowed his head to drop to the floor. **“Wow, permission. You really are a whore aren’t you Yellow?”** Purple said, his voice mocking. Yellow did not respond to the jab. He just rested against the floor, that was until he felt something that made his head jerk up quickly.

Shards of glass stuck to his sweaty face as he let out a gasp. Something big and slimy, slid between his crack. It was thick, larger than the tentacle that had previously plumbed his insides. He felt it press against his ass, forcing its way inside as a moan escaped his lips at its intrusion.

It was slick, but the texture of it felt different from the previous insertion. It was more sticky, more cloying as it slathered about his insides. The tentacles were lukewarm in temperature, but this thick thing felt downright hot. It moved differently as well, spreading his asshole wide as it slid deeper inside.

Yellow felt his hips buck best they could in the tight space as he was unable to keep in his unwilling mewls. His movement caused him pain, but he could barely managed to keep himself still.

**“Open your mouth Yellow.”** White ordered from in front of him and Yellow did so, feeling his insides caressed by what he could only imagine was an enormous tongue. It slid along his passage, making his smashed dick harden as it stimulated the shivering nerves inside.

Yellow’s guess that the Imposter behind had stuck that massive lolling tongue of his inside of him was confirmed as he felt White’s tongue slide into his mouth, forcing his jaw open. White’s much larger mouth pressed up against his face, as the massive spittle slathered thing slid into Yellow’s mouth.

His mouth ached, the thing far too large for the human jaw to comfortably accommodate as it reached down into him. White leaned in, the tongue sliding down his throat in an uncomfortable fashion. It was all too much, the pressure and the distractions coming in from both ends. Yellow’s world was spinning in a mixture of terror, pleasure and a small measure of guilt.

This was all brought to a halt as he felt Purple move behind him. He let out a muffled yelp as his asshole suddenly seared.

Purple had slid two fingers from either side into his hole and with a firm tug, he forced it to widen up as he plunged his fingers further inside. Sharp nails scratching along Yellow’s tender insides. Yellow would have screamed, but his mouth was full. White massaged his throat, his hands pressing up against the lump his tongue was forming as it traveled down towards Yellow’s guts.

**“Oh Yellow you taste nice.”** White said, the voice emitting from somewhere within the flesh that was now bunched up all about him. **“No wonder Blue likes you, your body is _so_ accommodating.”**

Yellow frantically inhaled best he could through his nose. His chest fought to expand in the tight spot as he wondered just how far the two intended to reach up inside of him. Then he let out a shriek that was once more stifled on the thick tongue that still stuck in his mouth as he felt Purple remove his clawed finger from his ass, tongue sliding from the throbbing hole.

**“There we go, nice, slick and ready.”**

Ready for what? This thought danced across Yellow’s mind in a haze of fog as White continued to work his throat with no mercy. He felt Purple shove his clawed fingers back into his asshole and he flinched as the Imposter began to work them at a steady clip.

**“Take your tongue out of his damn mouth already White, I want to hear him.”**

Purple demanded. With a sigh, Yellow felt White’s tongue pull it. It slithered out of his mouth like a snake, disappearing into the imposters mouth. **“Fine, but hurry it up.”** White complained. **“You know we only have limited time with him before we have to finish up.”**

Yellow might have asked what he meant by that, but even as he opened his mouth the questions were lost as Purple’s clawed fingers were joined by another one, then another one. The raked across Yellow’s insides and he was sure they were drawing blood. However, it wasn’t the blood he was worried about as his asshole began to stretch far past his comfort zone.

Yellow gurgled, before managing to find the words to express the discomfort. “To much… to much!” He pleaded, as White traced lazy circles about his face, his claws drawing blood wherever the stroked.

**“You can take more.”** Purple said, voice dripping with malicious amusement as he slid his hand in further. Yellow let out a shriek as he felt Purple’s thumb resting, against the outside of his asshole. Half the imposters palm was inside of him and Purple was working it back and forth in a vicious fashion, claws massaging again and the agonized flesh inside.

Yellow felt his face scrunch in agony as his insides began to ache with continuous pain. **“Purple, you’re missing out he is making the cutest face.”** White commented as tears rolled down Yellow’s cheeks, only to be wiped away by the ever vigilant White.

Purple gave a growl of approval and Yellow let out a full fledged wail as he felt Purple’s thumb worm inside his already stretched out asshole. Then he felt Purple give a push and Yellow’s legs kicked best they could as he let out a holler. Purple flexed his fingers, the motion making Yellow scream louder.

**“I take it you’re inside?”** White asked, a sick excitement in his voice.

**“I’m in, but I’m not done.”**

Yellow felt Purple rub his free hand across his ass in a fashion that could have almost been mistaken for comforting. **“Pink was not nearly this flexible.”** He commented as he slowly began to work his hand back and forth. **“You haven’t even ripped Yellow, I’m honestly shocked.”**

“Take it out please!” It was all Yellow could get out between his sobs. “Purple… please… it hurts…” He continued, his mind frantically grasping for anything that might make the Imposter back off. “I’m sorry that I touched Cyan! I didn’t know…”

**“Oh don’t worry yourself Yellow, I forgive you for that.”** Purple said, his voice calm as his hand continued to flex inside Yellow’s painfully strained ass. **“But I’ve already put my hand in and it would be a shame to take it out know wouldn’t it? I couldn’t deny you this experience.”**

**“He’s right Yellow,”** White said in that nauseatingly soothing voice. **“And besides, it’s really is your own fault. If you could only see yourself, you look like an absolute snack. I might have to eat you after this.”**

Yellow let out a scream as Purple once more began to move his hand. This time though, the movement was far more insidious than just a simple up and down motion. His fingers had begun to curl and Yellow finally fully understood what he was going to do. He felt the fist forming, a thick ball bulging out inside of his guts as his insides screamed in pain.

White’s tongue slid across his face. Kiss after kiss being planted on it as Purple viciously began to move the now curled fist back and forth. Yellow could feel his asshole giving up, collapsing in on itself as the fist broke muscle and stretched sinew.

**“Hard enough for you?”** Asked Purple over Yellow’s shrieks as he began to pick up speed. His motions were tormenting, his fist sliding so far out that it threatened to pop out, only to be thrust back inside at the last moment.

This time Yellow did feel his vision start to give. Everything around him swam as his breaths became more and more rare. He was to concentrated on screaming. His ass twitched and trembled as its depths were violated again and again and he was sure he wasn’t going to be conscious till the end.

Yet, despite the odds, he found that he was awake, up until the point he felt the fist pull ungraciously from his insides with a pop that made him sob. **“What a fucking mess you are.”** Purple said with a laugh that Yellow could only hazily hear. His mind was flashing in and out of consciousness. **“You should take a look. It’s kind of pathetic.”**

He was grateful that it at least happened fast. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how Purple managed it. His legs were shoved against the metal walls as his body was compacted. Bones creaked, his body ached and then he heard a crunching snap. All at once, the pain went away, at least in his lower half. Purple had literally folded him in half, breaking his spine in the process.

As he looked up blearily, he stared at the top half of his body.. His legs dripped blood, apparently partially degloved from their trip against the wall as his gapping asshole blossomed out red flesh and he stared at the prolapse. As he did, he tried to come to terms with the fact that his spine had just snapped. White reached out, clawed finger touching the mess, before he dug a bloody chunk from it. Yellow didn’t bother screaming as he watched the Imposter cut away flesh, he couldn’t feel it anymore.

**“Well, looks like he’s broken.”** White said looking down towards Yellow. Yellow stared up at him, his mouth forming towards even as his mind berated him for thinking them. “You said you’d let me go?” He said, exhausted.

**“Well, we can’t do that can we? You’d definitely tell the other what you’ve seen.”** White said, voice almost diplomatic as he rubbed fleshy claws against Yellow’s destroyed asshole. **“Besides, with the state my peers left you in, it wouldn’t be very kind of us would it?”**

“Blue…” Yellow said sadly, his eyes closing as he felt his heart ache.

**“Don’t worry, he’ll join you real soon,”** Purple said from behind him. Yellow wished he could get angrier, but he was just so tired. He stared up at the fleshy monster that was White, noting that his mouth had opened, rows of sharp teeth dripping with salvia as they moved forward.

**“Goodbye Yellow. Well send your boyfriend along soon enough.”** He said as his tongue wrapped around Yellow’s throat as his head was slowly pulled inside the cavernous maw, the bottom teeth poking painfully into his neck. He knew his head was going to get bit off long before it happened, but he didn’t bother struggling. He simply closed his eyes, an image of Blue flashing across his fading mind. He barely felt it when White bit down, severing his head and ending his life.

Purple let out a sigh, reaching out and unfolding Yellows body. He heard loud munching and tilted his head. **“White, did you seriously just bite his head off?”** Purple demanded and he heard White give a guilty laugh. **“Sorry, couldn’t resist. I was hungry and he was cute.”** Purple shook his head even as his own cavernous mouth opened, biting down and tearing off Yellow’s foot. He munched away as he said with annoyance. **“Well, that’s one more down, we’ve still got three more left before we can officially call it a victory.”**

**“Do you feel better now Purple?”** White asked through a mouthful of Yellow. **“Does your pride feel avenged?”** Purple thought about this for a second. His irritation had significantly lessened, his thoughts no longer clouded with the anger he’d felt at Yellow and Blue. Cyan though. He would have to have a word with Cyan when he was done. There were things that needed to be explained to the man, things that Purple needed to drill into him. **“I’ll feel better once I’ve got Cyan in a nice quiet room and we can have a meaningful _conversation_ about all of this.”**

**“Well if that’s the case, I suppose we should get out of this vent?”** White questioned and Purple nodded his head, before remembering his fellow Imposter couldn’t see it. **“Yes, and we should take the body out to. It will make it easier to shift the blame.”**

**“You think you can get the body to move?”** White asked and Purple made an affirming noise. **“Make sure there’s not blood on you.”** He added as he gave a push. He felt White tugging on the other end. Slowly the body began to shift.

**“Who are we blaming?”** White asked as they drew closer and closer to the exit. White could feel the open air behind him and he was eager to get out of this cramped vent. Sure, it had been nice and cozy while it had been him, Purple and Yellow, but the moment was over, and he wanted to be out in the open again.

**“Red or Black,”** Purple said in a calm voice. **“Whichever one seems easier to throw under the bus.”** White nodded his head, feeling a small sprinkle of relief. He always got a bit anxious when it came to reporting a body, but he was sure that Purple had a plan. Purple almost always did.

That was, if they could ever get the corpse out of the vent. As he continued to help pull the bloodied carcass he felt a frown growing on his face. **“I think we had to much fun this time.”** He said, feeling a bit annoyed. **“We really got him stuck pretty deep in here.”**

**“You’re the one who wanted to bring him in the vent White,”** Purple said. **“Stop griping.”** With a sigh of relief, White pushed open the vent, hauling out Yellow’s decapitated body **. “Geez, finally.”** He said as he fought with the cadaver, trying to bring it out the last few inches. **“Do you think that…?”  
** He began, but suddenly the words in his throat died as he turned around, facing a site that took him off guard.

Standing in the door, a looming figure stood. His suit was slightly damaged, and a singed smell surrounded him as he stood shaking, staring at the scene. He was braced against the wall, his hands clutched to his helmet. White stared at him in disbelief, feeling a surge of alarm in his guts. **“Black?”** He said, almost unable to believe it.

“You motherfucker.” Black spat, sickness and rage broiling in his voice. “You absolute trash!”

**“Black…”** White stuttered over his words, staring in disbelief at the crewmate. **“The doors were locked, how did you get in…?”**

“I BROKE THE FUCKING DOORS!” Black screamed, his hands balled into fists. “I BROKE OUT OF WHERE YOU LOCKED ME!” Black cut him off furiously. “AND I’VE BEEN STANDING HERE, LISTENING TO YELLOW SCREAM FOR THE PAST THIRTY FUCKING MINUTES YOU SICK FUCK!”

White stared at Black, then back to Yellow’s body. **“Well that’s, unfortunate…”** He said, genuinely taken off guard. He had no idea what to do. For some reason, it simply hadn’t occurred to him that he might get caught and now that he had.

“And now that I know who it was down there in the vent, I’m going to go and GET YOU THROWN OFF THIS DAMN SHIP!” White didn’t have time to react as Black turned, running down the hallway as he abandoned White. White sprinted after him, staring out in the hall. To his alarm, the doors that he and Purple had jammed had clearly reached their limit, and he watched it slide open in front of Black as he retreated out of sight.

**“Oh shit, shit, shit!”**

White sprinted back, staring into the reactor room. **“Purple, we have a situation!”** All was silent, and White frantically looked around. **“Purple, where are you?”** He asked, feeling worry rising up in his chest. Purple did not respond and as White stood alone in the room, he heard the blaring alarm that meant an emergency meeting was in the process of being called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Black gets to be traumatized just like the rest of the crew! He's probably wishing now that he had put some more points into charisma, cause he's got an uphill battle. Feel free to guess how that's going to go in the comments...


	9. J'accuse!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black seen some shit, Black knows some shit. The question is, can Black get anyone to believe him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The greatly anticipated, what's going to happen to Black is finally going to get a reveal. Everyone hold your breaths because we're in for a bumpy ride.
> 
> My wife (Shiba_with_a _Typewriter) also wants it mentioned that she's the one who grammar checks all the chapters without smut, so here's me giving her her dues. On a funny note, because of this she was unaware of how Yellow died she asked me about it and I told her "Peacefully in his sleep."
> 
> Nobody tell her...

Cyan did not know how long he and Blue had been in there, both of them situated firmly over the vent. His butt ached from the uncomfortable sitting position and his skin was slicked with sweat. Every second felt like an hour as the oppressive nature of the situation slowly weighed him down.

Blue was silent as well, but unlike Cyan, he seemed unfocused on keeping his weight on the vent. His helmet was tilted towards the door and it seemed like every second that passed, he became more and more tense.

It made sense — every second that past was another second that could prove fatal to Yellow.

“They should have opened by now!” Blue’s voice was a little frantic as he remained seated on the vent. Cyan felt him shift, clearly preparing to leap up the second those metal doors slid open.

“Why haven’t they opened?!” Blue slammed his palm down on the floor.

“He’s probably fine,” Cyan said weakly, not sure if he believed his own words. To be fair, he was far too occupied with his own thoughts. _Purple_ … what if something had happened to him? He and White were both in just as much danger as Yellow was. What if… what if the Imposter had gotten them separated?

What if he’d gotten Purple?

He should have never left his side…

As his mind lingered on this, he heard a faint whirring coming from the door.

Then, it happened. One second, the doors were locked, and they were trapped inside. The next, the doors had opened with a _wh_ _oosh_.

Blue was on his feet in a second, Cyan right behind him. They’d barely made it to the doorway, however, before the emergency alarm tore through the air.

There wasn’t even a second of hesitation as Blue turned, sprinting up the hallway towards the cafeteria. _Maybe nothing happened this time_ , Cyan thought as he took up the rear. _Maybe this time, everyone’s_ _fine._ The emergency meeting could simply be for the fact that the doors had closed.

_How many other doors had closed?_ , Cyan wondered as he exited the hallway, staggering to a stop in the room beyond. He stared ahead of him, the feeling of relief that was washing over him somewhat muted at the sight in front of his eyes.

There were three figures aside from him and Blue who were in the cafeteria. Red, Black and Purple stood around the emergency button. There was screaming — Cyan was sure of it by the way they were moving — but he was still too far away for the microphone in his suit to pick up anything.

Red had distanced himself from Black and Purple, his helmeted head frantically turning back and forth as Black pointed furiously at Purple. Purple waved his arms before returning the accusatory point.

White was not there, Cyan noted with a sinking feeling, and neither was Yellow.

Where they both dead? Cyan was unsure, and it seemed he would get no answers until he moved closer. Blue, who was apparently in hearing range, had come to a stop. His posture was stiff, something Cyan did not take as a good sign.

As Cyan edged forward, he noted that Brown was still huddled away. His head rested on the table, his shoulders slumped as he sat in silence. Whatever was happening, it seemed he was not going to be an active participant.

Black made a move towards Purple, causing him to step back and Cyan’s trance was broken. He ran forward, frantically feeling the need to get in-between the two before someone got hurt. As he closed in, staticky voices erupted in his helmet, the volume of them nearly blowing out his eardrums as they filled the cramped space.

“YOU SICK FUCKER, SO YOU’RE THE OTHER ONE!” Black yelled, overwhelming hatred in his voice as he took another step towards Purple, fists raised. “I SHOULD’VE FUCKING KNOWN — WHAT WITH YOUR SKULKING ABOUT! _YOU ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SHIT!_ ”

The anger Cyan heard in that voice was almost enough to make him retreat. Black had always been grouchy, but with his voice raised to the volume it was, he was terrifying. Cyan was genuinely scared of the black suited astronaut.

However, his fear for Purple spurred him on his he ran forward.

“YOU DON’T _HONESTLY_ EXPECT TO GET AWAY WITH THAT, DO YOU?!” Purple matched his accusers tone, his words beyond livid as he held his stance, even as Black made a threatening move towards him.

Cyan balked at his voice, his stomach twisting into knots. He hadn’t even known Purple could get that mad and the realization startled him. Unlike Black though, Purple’s shouting did not scare him.

“YOU DON’T THINK YOU GET TO WALK AWAY AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO YELLOW… AFTER WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO TO WHITE?”

“THAT IS SUCH BULLSHIT!” Black screamed back, waving an accusing finger at Purple. “YOU AND HIM ARE FUCKING RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS! NO ONE IS GOING TO BELIEVE YOU! EITHER OF YOU! YOU’RE BOTH MONSTERS, IS WHAT YOU ARE!”

Black made a move to grab Purple, but Cyan had reached them. He shoved Black back, causing the man to stagger slightly as he frantically held out his arms. Black grew still, seemingly shocked. Purple, however, wasn’t having it.

“US?! IT WAS YOU! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND PIN THIS ON US, YOU FUCKING DEGENERATE!” Purple said as he reached forward, grabbing Cyan’s forward. Cyan was yanked back a couple of steps — apparently, Purple was keen on putting him behind him and away from Black.

Black seemed about ready to respond, but any rebuttal he had was drowned out as a third screaming voice joined the fray.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ‘DID TO YELLOW’?!”

Blue’s voice slashed through the screaming match like toilet paper, silencing any other voices that might have spoken. Cyan’s head swiveled. The man had frozen when he’d run out, simply staring at the shouting match like Cyan. Now thought, it seemed that his shock had broken as he stormed forward.

He was up with them now and with a firm hand he reached in, grabbing Cyan and yanking him back. Furiously he grabbed Black and Purple sending them both slamming against the table as he towered over the now silent pair.

“Both of you, SHUT THE _FUCK_ UP AND TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO YELLOW!” Beneath that vicious anger, Cyan could hear the keening note of panicked sorrow — of overwhelming fear that could only be achieved by the threat of acute loss.

“Blue, calm down…” Red pleaded from the other side of the table. He was the quietest Cyan had ever heard him, his voice barely above a whisper. It would have been funny if Cyan wasn’t terrified. Apparently when it was everyone else yelling, Red was left at a loss.

“FUCK OFF RED!” Blue snarled as he stared at the two who were hastily pushing themselves up from the table. He moved to grab them again, but Cyan caught his arm, holding him back.

“What the FUCK happened to my BOYFRIEND?!” Blue snarled, fighting Cyan for his arm back as the man held on for dear life. It was the first time Cyan had ever heard Blue admit that he and Yellow were romantically entangled.

Black and Purple seemed stunned into silence as Blue finally stopped struggling against Cyan’s grip. The moment the other man stilled, Cyan darted around him, quickly making his way over to Purple to help him back to his feet.

As he did it seemed the man found his voice.

“Blue, listen to me!” he said, speaking quickly, his breath coming in slightly ragged gasps. “Black’s the other Imposter. After we finished with O2, we tried to go back through the cafeteria, but the doors were locked. White and I decided to fan out and look to see if anyone was in trouble.”

“You fixed O2?! What a load of shit, I fixed it!” Black hissed, but Purple ignored him as he kept talking. “

“White found him first. He was up in reactor, he was trying to stuff… to stuff Yellow’s body into a vent. Blue… Yellow is…”

“SHUT UP!” Black furiously cut Purple off, waving his arms frantically. He was back on his feet now, turning to look over towards Purple.

“Cyan get the FUCK away from him!” he demanded before looking over towards Blue. “Blue, you have to listen to me! I was the person who did O2. I was making my way over to reactor when I got locked in lower engine! I broke through the door, because I could hear Yellow on the other side…”

Black took in a deep inhale of breath and continued frantically. “I got through, but it was already too late! They’d already taken him in the vents, I couldn’t fucking get to him. All I could do was wait til they came back out.”

He pointed an accusatory finger at Purple.

“White was the one who dragged the body out, but considering you’re already here defending him, I have to assume you heard me and took a vent to get ahead of me! Judging by the fact Purple managed to make it back here before I did, I’m going to guess the two of them trapped Yellow in the vent and… Blue, are you listening!?”

Blue was standing stock still. He was like a statue, rigid and lifeless. Cyan had no idea what his face looked like beneath the visor, but images of dead eyes crawled into his mind.

“Blue?” Purple’s voice was the softest Cyan had ever heard it. His helmet had turned, his hand reaching out halfway, as though caught in indecision.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING SPEAK TO HIM!”

Purple was struck with a fork by Black. The man scooped the dining utensil off the table nearby, flinging them at Purple. Purple hastily held up an arm in front of both him and Cyan.

“Cyan, get behind me.”

It was an order, and Cyan took it as one as he ducked behind the other man.

“Don’t you dare speak to Blue like that, not after what you and White did to Yellow!” Black snarled, throwing a plastic butter knife. He reached for more silverware to throw, but Red reached out, pulling the last of it out of his reach. Black turned, looking like he was ready to fight Red for the spoon that Red had just taken from him.

“You’re a liar, Black!” Cyan’s voice was small and terrified, but it tore from him. He refused to believe it. Purple would _never_ — he _knew_ Purple. They’d been together for so long, and the thought of Purple killing… of Purple _torturing_ the other members of the crew… he couldn’t believe it, he wouldn’t believe it.

“I’m not! Cyan, would you fucking _listen_ to me?!” Black snapped as he turned back to look at Cyan. He stepped forward and Cyan could feel the man’s gaze locked on him.

“You absolute moron! Don’t hide behind him!” With a curse, Purple lunged forward and struck the other man, sending him reeling back away from them.

“Hell no! You aren’t touching Cyan! Not him!” Purple’s voice was a low rumble of fury. It wasn’t him Cyan though with a wave of relief, he was sure of it now. Purple was not the Imposter — he was keeping Cyan safe.

Purple pointed a finger towards Black, his voice rising in volume. “I’m not letting you kill again! It ends here!”

“You absolute bastard.” Black shook his head, and he sounded as though he was in genuine shock. “How can you stand there and LIE after everything you and White have done? You’re a monster, an absolute fucking monster…”

“WHERE THE HELL IS MY BOYFRIEND?!” Blue’s agonized scream stopped conversation in its tracks. “WHERE IS HE, AND WHAT THE _FUCK_ HAS BEEN DONE TO HIM!? TAKE ME TO HIM! TAKE ME TO HIM NOW!!!”

“Blue, we're in the middle of an emergency meeting, it’s against procedure to go back until…” Black said — but that’s as far as he got. With a furious motion, Blue stormed at him, his fist drawing back and cracking into Black’s helmet. A spiderweb of cracks formed across were Blue hit as Black staggered back, hitting one of the cafeteria benches behind him.

“TO HELL WITH YOUR PROCEDURE, TAKE ME TO MY BOYFRIEND RIGHT NOW!”

“He’s in the reactor Blue,” Purple said quietly. “White’s in there as well…”

Black was pushing himself back up off the floor. “Blue, don’t go back there! White’s still in there, he might…”

But Blue wasn’t listening. He’d turned around and had begun to run down the hall. Purple grabbed Cyan. “We need to go with him!” Purple said and Cyan listened without question.

Together they ran after Blue, leaving the other two behind in the cafeteria. They ran towards a scene that Cyan knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he was not ready to see.

****************************

Black stood in the lobby, his breath coming in shaky gasps. This was… impossible. He’d seen White kill, he’d _seen_ him! But they weren’t listening. Cyan was simping, and Blue wasn’t hearing what he was saying.

He turned to Red, staring at the man who seemed keen on keeping the table between the two of them. As though a table would have done any good if Black was actually an Imposter.

“Red, you believe me right?” he demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. “You were listening, right? Purple and White — they’re both Imposters.” He stepped forward, only to have Red take several staggering steps back from him.

“Like hell I believe you, not after I saw you come running in here chasing after Purple!” Red said, his breath coming in frantic draws.

“I wasn’t chasing him!” Black practically screamed. “Red, he got out of a vent in front of me! That’s why he was going for the button! I’m being framed for something I would _never_ do!”

“But Purple’s not gay…”

Black stared at Red, completely confused as he tried to figure out why this detail mattered.

“What… what the fuck does that have to do with any of this?!” he demanded, unsure how he was supposed to unpack what Red had just said.

Red pointed a shaking finger at him.

“It matters because men are being sexually assaulted, Black!” He backed away, Black watching him retreat in disbelief. “I’m not staying in here alone with you! I’m going with them!” With that, Red turned and sprinted down the hallway, leaving a stunned Black standing in silence.

He was so lost as to how all of this had happened, still in shock from what he had heard. Yellow’s screams were seared into his mind as he’d frantically searched for a way to get to the man, to save him. He’d managed to rewire the doors, forcing them to open so he could get through to where he’d known Yellow was.

Some small part of him was hoping to save the other man, but when he’d heard the wails echoing from the vent, he knew there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could do but witness the atrocity as it occurred.

Had he not made that clear? That he would have helped if he could have? That he’d stayed there, listening to screaming just so he could figure out who the Imposter actually was?

He’d been so shaken when White had appeared from the vent dragging Yellow’s headless corpse.

He should have run then. He shouldn’t have yelled at White, shouldn’t have caught the thing’s attention. But he’d just been so fucking mad from listening to literal torture, and then he’d snapped. He’d wanted to throw down with the Imposter there and then, but he’d decided to go for the button. After all, trying to fight a shapeshifting alien on his own wasn’t something he was confident he could do.

As he’d run through the hall, though, he’d realized that he wasn’t the only one trying to call an emergency meeting. At first he’d thought Purple was on his side, but when Red had called the meeting, Purple had turned on him in a second. That’s when he’d known that they’d failed to get the second Imposter off the ship. Yet despite this, despite witnessing these actions with his own eyes…

“No one believes me,” he muttered, staring down the hall as his entire body began to shake — he wasn’t sure what from. He knew it wasn’t fear, it was something deeper than that more primal. It was an animal instinct that was telling him he had to run. The only problem was, he was stuck on a spaceship with nowhere to run _to_.

“Shit!” Black swore, slamming his hand against the table. His heart was beating at a million miles an hour as he stood there. “They don’t fucking believe me!”

“Of course they don’t.”

Black’s head spun and he stared at where Brown had been slumped. The man was no longer rag dolling on the table. He had stood, taking a couple of steps forward. He walked as though his suit was made from iron, as though each step weighted him down towards the ground.

“You’ve always been so unfriendly,” Brown said, his voice weak, cracked. “It makes it easier for them to throw you under the bus. Makes it easier for Purple to pin this on you.” Black stared at him, feeling the weight of his words.

“You believe me, then?” he said, feeling a sudden ray of hope.

“Of course I believe you — I knew who it was the day Pink died,” Brown murmured, before adding quietly, “And of course, I was there when Lime died…” His words took a second to sink in, but when they did, Black had to use the table as support.

“ _You knew._ ” he said, feeling furious accusation bubbling up in his voice. “You knew, and you didn’t tell anyone shit?!”

“Of course I knew,” Brown said weakly as he reached up. His helmet hissed as pulled it off his head. Black blanched, stepping back as he stared at Brown.

His face looked like death, black circles around his red-veined eyes. One of his eyelids twitched sporadically as he stood there, facing Black. His hair was matted and stained, auburn curls smashed together into a knotted frenzy.

He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, hadn’t eaten… As Black stared at him, he remembered how ‘protective’ White had been of Brown after Lime. How he’d barely left him alone, how he’d stayed with him.

_Had he been keeping him awake?_ Black wondered. Now that he thought about it, he’d rarely seen Brown asleep. White must have been keeping him sleep deprived. And to think that Black had felt a bit jealous…

“Black, I was in the room when White killed Lime. I…” Brown took in a sharp breath of air, hands twitching sporadically. “Black, you have no idea what he’s _like_. No one onboard this ship knows just how… depraved he is.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?!” Black demanded. “If you’d spoken up…”

“But I tried to tell people before Lime died,” Brown said, one of his eyelids twitching in a frantic fashion. Red veins where blood vessels had burst stood out promisingly against the whites of his eyes as he continued. “I knew it was White before he’d even killed Lime, but I realized something. None of you would have believed me if I’d ratted him out. So I waited. I was hoping that I might see something… but by the time that I had, I’d seen too much.”

Black was silent, searching for a comeback. But the truth of the matter was that Brown was right. If Brown had told him it was White only hours before, Black would not have believed him. Not with all the things that White had said about him. Not with the groundwork of doubt the Imposter had created.

“Well, then we’ll just have to tell them when they get back, okay?” Black said, fighting back the urge to scream at the trembling Brown. He was scared, scared because he knew what would happen if the favor of the ship turned against him. “If you tell them what happened to Lime, they’ll listen. Tell them it was White and at least if he’s gone we’ll get a clear shot at Purple afterwards…”

“Cyan won’t vote for Purple,” Brown said simply, his voice exhausted. “Don’t you see? Cyan’s in _love_ with Purple.”

Black wanted to rip out his hair as he frantically gestured into the air. “Forget Purple for now, if we can get White…!”

“Black, tell me why you wouldn’t have believed me if I told you before today that White had killed Lime?” Brown asked simply.

“Because White said you were a crazy person! He said you were off your meds!” Black said, slamming his hand on the table.

“Exactly,” Brown said as he walked to a table and sat back down at it. “White’s already sewn seeds of doubt against me. I can already hear what he’ll say when he gets back into the room.” Brown shook his head, letting out a weak laugh as he did a poor impression of White’s voice. “Black, how could you try and turn Brown on me? After everything I’ve done for him, done for you? You’ve gone and messed with his mind — the poor thing doesn’t know up from down right now!”

Black was floored as he stared at Brown.

“And they’ll all believe it, too,” Brown continued, his shoulders sagging. “Look at me, I’m a fucking wreck. I am off my meds and I’m twitchy and scared. My words are getting jumbled in my head. White’s been so convincing that even I almost believe he’s innocent… almost.”

Black felt sweat beginning to pour down his skin as he stood there, staring at the defeated Brown. His mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour, but slowly, he felt an eerie calm beginning to take hold of his mind — the ice-cold logic of a primate cornered with only one way forward.

“They’re going to throw me off, aren’t they?” he said, shocked at how steady his voice was.

“Probably,” Brown admitted, before adding quietly, “Sorry.”

Black looked back down the hall. He felt guilt aching inside of him. Remorse for being a heel to the point that when he pointed his finger at the actual murder, no one would listen.

“I’m going to give it one last go,” he said, his limbs shaking. He looked to Brown before approaching the man and dropping to one knee.

“Brown, can you do something for me?” Brown stared down at him from where he sat, a confused expression on his face.

“You want me to do something for you, Black? I thought you didn’t like how I do things?”

Right, he was in the habit of yelling at Brown, wasn’t he? Black grimaced, holding up his hands.

“I’ve been an asshole, and I’m sorry,” he said, his mouth dry as he glanced back towards the hall. “But please, I have a plan.”

Brown tilted his head as Black gulped.

“It goes against protocol,” he admitted, and Brown let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Black, only you would care about protocol right now,” he said with a weary sigh. Black took the jab gracefully as he simply nodded his head in agreement.

“Fair enough. But Brown, I need you to go to nav and finish doing my last task. I’ve just got to finish the wires in there, and then all of the power will be back online.”

Brown eyed him, clearly confused. “How will that help anything?”

“It will mean I can go down to the lower deck,” Black said, his mind slowly forming a plan. Brown’s eyes widened as he seemed to realize what Black intended.

“You’re going for the escape pods, aren’t you?” he said and Black nodded his head. 

“But… those escape shuttles don’t have any coordinates entered into them, and we’re too far away from any ports!” Brown said in a rush. “You’d probably just end up floating in space, stranded!”

Black swallowed hard, nodding his head. “I know, I know,” he said, holding up his hands. “But Brown, I’m not letting them shoot me out the airlock.” He paused, before he felt a small swell of worry inside of him. “And look, I know I’ve never been the nicest to you and I’m sorry about that, but Brown, please don’t… don’t…”

“It’s fine,” Brown said, holding up a hand and interrupting him. his head shakily. “It’s fine, that’s… we’re so far past that now. I wouldn’t hurt you Black, even if you can be a real shithead. After all, you did try to save Yellow, so I guess there’s got to be some good in you. That’s more than I can say for those two…”

Black nodded his head, standing up as he did so. “Are you going to come with me? I know that it’s a longshot, but it might be the best option we have.”

Brown stared at him, a small smile crossing his face. “Black, are you trying to save me?”

“Of course,” Black stared at in him abject confusion. “Why would I leave you behind?”

“Huh,” Brown stared at him, shaking his head slowly. “Maybe there is a nice person in there after all.”

He turned his gaze to the table and Black could tell that he was thinking hard. “I think there’s only time to divert power to one of them,” he said, before wrapping his hands around his shoulders. “Besides, I really don’t want to die.”

“You really think White’s going to leave you alive after he’s done killing everyone else on the ship?” Black scoffed.

At his words, Brown gave him the smallest of smiles. “I think he will, up until he gets bored of me…”

“You really want to live like that?” Black demanded, staring at Brown in disbelief.

“No, but I’m too scared to die…” Brown had gotten to his feet and had turned away from Black. He walked across the floor, the metal creaking as he went. “Good luck, Black,” he said, not glancing back as he reattached his helmet. “You’re going to need it.”

****************************

“Cyan, hurry!” Purple dragged Cyan along as the two of the ran down the hallway. Up ahead of them, Blue turned at the reactor. Cyan did his best to keep up, even as he felt something inside of him dying slightly with every step.

“Purple… is Yellow really dead?” he asked through gasping breaths. Purple did not respond to his question. He didn’t have to as Blue’s pained gasp of breath burst through Cyan’s speakers.

Behind them, Cyan noticed that Red was heading down the hall as well. Apparently he hadn’t felt safe being left alone with Black. Cyan couldn’t say that he blamed him, as he rounded the corner with Purple, the two of them charging towards the reactor room.

Cyan had been mentally preparing himself, but as Purple had dragged them to the door, he still hadn’t been ready for the scene he saw inside. In a way, it was familiar — at least, in terms of blood.

It was _everywhere_. The thick red smeared from the vent, streaking across the reactor floor to where the body lay. Bloody bits of cloth and flesh had been left behind, the mutilated body broken and bloodied in the center of the reactor. Blue was already there, the corpse of the man he loved clutched tightly in his arms.

Cyan felt bile rise as he noticed that Yellow’s head had been bitten cleanly off. There was nothing left of it — just a bloodied stump where his neck had once been. Blue clasped the body to him, his suit staining with the blood of his partner as he held what was left of him against his chest. His breathing was harsh, and Cyan stared dumbly at the scene, feeling a horrible sickness overcoming him.

He’d seen Yellow when the man had been alive. He’d been so… so vibrant. So playful, so passionate. Now, he was nothing but a defiled wreck, courtesy of whoever was responsible for this whole horrible mess.

White — where was White? As Cyan searched for White, he found him quickly enough.

He was pressed up against the wall, his suit stained in blood. He didn’t say a word, but Purple hastily moved towards him, glancing back at Cyan.

“One second,” he said softly. As he walked away, Cyan felt an irritating memory tug at his mind. Purple and White running down into storage. They’d run _down_.

Purple approached White, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cyan listened hard, but their voices didn’t register over his mic. Apparently, they were having a back and forth just out of range of his mic. Behind him, he heard a sudden flurry of curses.

He turned to see Red coming to a standstill. It occurred to him as the man stood there, staring at the bodies that Red hadn’t actually gotten to see the crime scenes prior to this. He’d never been willing to participate in body clean up, so this was the first corpse he was getting to see.

Red grabbed his helmet, ripping it from his head as he staggered to a corner of the room and vomited. Cyan looked away, wondering how he was managing to keep it all down as he stared back at the scene.

“Blue… I’m so sorry,” Cyan managed to force out from his throat. He took a couple steps towards Blue, before stopping, unable to bring himself any closer to the twisted remains of what had once been Yellow. Blue did not respond, but his silence felt volatile. Like there was a massive storm brewing somewhere underneath it.

Purple had stepped away from White, giving a nod that White weakly returned. He seemed shaken, but Cyan’s mind was in turmoil. Someone was guilty for this, and now the reality of it all was just to close. He looked back towards Blue, feeling his body trembling as he considered joining Red in vomiting.

He jolted as a hand gripped his shoulder, turning to look at Purple.

“Cyan, I need you to stay close to me until this is sorted,” Purple said quickly and quietly. “Can you do that?”

Cyan stared at him as he felt emotions wrench about his chest. A deep, primal part of him begged him to pull away from Purple’s grasp. Something about all of this wasn’t right, but he was having a hard time putting his finger on it.

Yet even as these doubts crossed his mind he could hear his mind furiously shouting. His emotions were twisted up inside of him as he felt himself take in a shaking breath.

“Who did it?” Cyan asked, looking directly at Purple. He felt his shoulders shaking, his back to the bloody scene. “Purple, who did this?”

“Black,” Purple’s voice was full of conviction as his head turned towards White. “Does he look capable of anything like this?”

Cyan looked to White who stood, arms crossed in the corner. There was a tremble to his body that was clearly genuine. He was afraid, there was no doubt of that.

“No…” Cyan shook his head. “No, he doesn’t look capable of much right now.”

He swallowed, trying to relieve the dryness in his throat as he looked towards Purple once more. “Purple… it’s not you right?” he asked, his voice pleading.

Purple black visor gave away nothing, his hand sliding from Cyan’s shoulder. Cyan felt himself beginning to panic as he stared at the other astronaut.

“Purple, please. Just tell me. It’s not you right?” Purple was quiet as Cyan reached forward and gripped his shoulders. “I need you to tell me _right now_ that you’re not the Imposter.”

“Cyan, I know you're scared.” Purple reached up and removed Cyan’s arms from his shoulders. “But I need you to trust me okay?”

He rested a hand on the side of Cyan’s helmet and Cyan felt his heart rate quicken, despite the horrific scenery that rested all about him.

“Please,” Purple repeated and Cyan could feel his eyes on him. “Trust me.”

Cyan gulped back a scared breath as he looked back over to Blue. Yellow’s body had been laid back down and he had gotten to his feet, hands clenched at his sides. For a second he was silent, his chest rising and falling.

“Blue?” Cyan asked, his voice shaking…

The silence broke with a bang.

“What THE FUCK HAPPENED TO HIM?!” Blue’s furious voice exploded through the mics in their helmets. “WHO?”

For once Red was silent, having nothing to add. However, a voice from the hall caused them to turn.

“White and Purple killed him, Blue. I know it, and Brown knows it.”

Everyone turned to see Black standing a little ways back from the crime scene. His voice was a layer of icy cold, his hands balled into fists and at his sides.

Cyan felt his doubts shatter and that feeling of rage that had filled him when he’d help throw Orange off the ship began to creep back inside of his gut.

“Black, how could you do this?” he asked, his voice shaking with unspoken emotion. “What did Yellow ever do to you?”

Black’s head turned sharply towards him.

“You be quiet!” He snarled, sounding as though he was about to snap. “Your obsession with Purple is part of the goddamn problem. You just go along with whatever he says. He’s gotten away with worse than murder right under our noses, and he’s had you to back him up whenever he needs it. He’s using you — why the fuck can’t you see that!?”

Purple was quiet for a second as Cyan glanced over at him. Finally, the man turned, addressing Blue. 

“Listen to me Blue, do you really think I’d do that to Yellow?” Purple shook his head, letting out a disgusted laugh. “No, let’s review the evidence here, Black. Other than Blue and Yellow, who’s the only other confirmed queer crewmate on this ship?”

“Don’t you dare…”

Began Black, but he was interrupted as Purple continued while Red scampering back away from him and out of reach.

“It’s just interesting that almost every single body we’ve found has had signs of a very specific type of assault. Kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it…”

“Blue, he’s literally playing the predatory gay card,” Black said, the outrage in his voice oddly muted.

Purple shook his head, glancing back at White before his helmet turned back to Black.

“Well, you’re the one raping crewmates to death. Also, for the record, I don’t actually think Orange took part in that particular activity. Which leaves me to believe the only person he killed was Dark Green, seeing as how he was the only one spared from this.”

“Blue, you’re not an idiot.” Black’s voice was quiet, on edge. “You _have_ to know he’s lying. I bet when you got in here, White was pressed up against the wall in terror because he thought you’d all have enough sense to THROW HIM OUT THE DAMN AIRLOCK!”

Black stopped himself there, holding up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “Look Blue, I know I’ve been a jerk. I know I’m not sociable, and I know I’ve spent most of this trip ragging on people to follow procedure. But I wouldn’t do this to Yellow. I wouldn’t do this to anybody. I just want to go home, I just want to be safe. I know who the monsters are… _please_ , you have to believe me.”

His words sounded as though they were spoken from inside his very soul. Cyan stared at him and for a second, he allowed himself to consider the possibility that Black was telling the truth.

“You’re lying.”

Blue’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. His words was laced with a fiery rage that made Cyan shudder as Blue took a step forward. “You’re lying to my face. You’re lying to me as my boyfriend’s dead body lies bloody and beaten on the ground.”

Black slumped, slowly shaking his head as he stood in the door.

“You’re all fucking morons,” he said, though there was no bite to his words. Only an underlying despair. “And all of you are going to suffer for your choices.”

“We’re going to throw you in space now.” Blue’s voice was empty of emotion, a cold wasteland of a thing. He took another step forward, his visor pointed towards Black. “You’re going into space and you can fucking die, cold and alone out there, and even that will be too good for you.”

Black stared at Blue for a good few seconds before he let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Brown was right — you aren’t going to listen. None of you are going to listen…”

“It’s over, Black,” Purple said as he stepped forward, Blue and Red mimicking his movements. “You’re going in the airlock.”

Black seemed to consider their words, before he let out a hollow laugh.

“No,” he said simply. “I don’t think I will.” Before anyone could move, Black had taken off. His footsteps echoed down the hall and for a second, everyone was too stunned to move. It was as though the possibility that Black might run for it hadn’t occurred to any of them.

“GET HIM!”

The yell came from Blue and with it all of them snapped into action. Purple and Cyan were in the lead, but not for long. Blue passed them, his feet slamming against the metal as he made a beeline after the retreating Black.

“We’re on a ship, Black!” Purple yelled after him. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Black did not respond, taking a quick corner as his pace never broke. They were in the hall to electric, and Blue was nearly on top of Black. But Black’s feet keep pounding against the metal and as Blue lunged for him, he ducked off to the side. It was as he did, Cyan felt the rumble beneath his feet.

“The ship’s power is back!” he said as he ran beside Purple. Around him, the ship thrummed with a life he hadn’t felt in days.

“The emergency pods are back online!” Purple said, before letting out a slurry of swears. “He’s making a run for it!”

Black let out a curse ahead of him as Blue screamed in rage.

“GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!” he yelled, his voice echoing off the walls about him.

Black ignored him, skidding through storage heading for the admin hall. Heading for the door which Cyan knew for a fact was now wide open in the side of the wall. He disappeared into it, Blue hot on his tail. Purple put on an extra burst of speed, leaving Cyan behind somewhat as he disappeared down the stairway that lead down to the bottom of the ship.

It had been so long since Cyan had been down here, that the metal halls around him felt alien. As he ran down them, speeding past the doors that lead to their separate bunks he noted the area at the end. The lower deck was small, comprising of bunks, a shower area and a small break room which was were the boxes had been stored. It also had the emergency pods. They had been placed down there for easy access to crew according to HQ. Black it seemed at already reached the room and Cyan heard Blue let out a furious scream.

Black threw himself into the small offshoot of a room, slamming the button to close the doors behind him. He was quick, but not quick enough as Blue closed the distance, weaving through the gap. As the doors shut, Cyan rushed to the window, staring inside the small room. Black and Blue rolled about on the floor, Blue slamming his fists down on the other man again and again.

“Blue!” Cyan yelled out in panic, knowing full well there was nothing he could do from this side.

****************************

“WE TRUSTED YOU, YOU BASTARD!” Blue screamed as he brought his fists down on Black again and again. Black hastily blocked his attackers blows, his mind in a bit of a daze as he tried to fight him off. He’d really thought they’d listen, but now an enraged Blue was straddling him, attempting to murder him he realized that he was being far too optimistic.

As the man rained blows on his body, Black found that even now it was hard to blame him for his actions. If what he’d believed had been true, Black wouldn’t have blamed him for the murder attempt.

He felt a blow smash down on his helmet and the glass that had been cracked by the man prior shattered. Shards fell onto Black’s face as he frantically caught the other man’s fists. The man was larger than him, but he was also skinny and uncoordinated by his fury. Black waited till he felt his foe unbalance himself, before flinging him off. Blue slammed against the side of the wall as Black shoved himself up, feeling shards of glass gathering beside his chin.

He staggered back towards the escape pods, staring at them with a repressed fear. The escape pods were quite small. Normally they were preprogramed with destinations considered safe in the computer, but the Skeld was never meant to come this far out into space. The moment he entered into the small metal pod with the blue cushioning, he would be sealed in and shot into space.

Only one of the six pods was glowing, indicating that it was ready to go. If Black had had more time, he’d would have sent in coordinates from nav to somewhere closer to the pods databases, but as it stood his hands were tied.

There was one other problem, though. One other thing Black had to deal with before he stepped inside the pod and allowed himself to be shot off into space.

“Blue, listen to me, I didn’t kill Yellow!” Black spoke, glass shifting about around his neck. He reached up, pulling his helmet off and tossing it to the floor. It was useless at this point anyways. Blue was staggering back to his feet as Black held out his hands. “Listen to me Blue, please! If I get in this escape pod and shot out into space, that’s it! I can’t help you anymore. Plus, if you’re still in here, you’re going to get sucked into space along with it! You know that the Skeld’s escape pods are poorly designed like that — Blue, you’ll die!”

“I don’t care!”

Blue was on his feet again, but even as he charged, Black found it easy to dodge his attack and shove him back. The man staggered back and as Black stared at his visor, he realized that it must be fogging. He could hear it now — the faint sobbing, barely restrained through gritted teeth. Black felt something give inside of him as he stared at the broken man who was forcing himself to get back up off the metal floor.

“Blue… get in the escape pod with me,” he said, kicking himself for offering it. “We can both leave, go get help.”

Blue staggered to his feet and Black felt a rush of empathy unlike any he’d ever felt before. All he wanted to do was help the man. Black had never been the most feeling sort of person, but Blue was just so… broken.

“Yellow can be avenged,” Black said, though his instincts prevented him from holding out his hand. Black had never been a trusting man and in that second, it seemed that he had made a very good choice.

Blue turned and lunged at him, his fists clenched. He spoke no words as he swung, forcing Black to step back. He tumbled, landing in the escape pod behind him and he hastily hit the button. The door shut behind him, and he listened as Blue pounded his fists against the door again and again.

“Blue, I’m so sorry,” Black said — and he meant it, too. As the lights of the sealed metal capsule began to light up around him, Black closed his eyes tightly, tears springing to the corners.

The slamming fists on the top of the craft did not stop. They did not stop until Black felt the metal craft shoot out into the darkness of the abyss. Black leaned back in the seat behind him, feeling his stomach dropping as he blindly rocketed off into the dark.

****************************

The ship rocked as the space pod exploded from it, causing Cyan to stagger. In a way he was lucky, the ship forcing him to lose his balance and preventing him from seeing what happened to Blue. Purple’s hands prevented him from hitting the ground and he frantically straightened back up, staring into the now empty room.

“BLUE!” Cyan screamed, but he knew it was already to late. Blue was already outside, already likely dead. There was no way to get a crewmate back after they’d been ejected. There was simply no way.

“No…” Cyan rested his helmet against the glass as he heard Red give a furious curse. “That… that fucker! He just blasted off into space, HE’S GOING TO GET AWAY!” Purple was quiet as Cyan cried. He felt tears streaking his cheeks as he wept. Not just for Blue, but for Yellow as well.

“YOU KNOW WHAT — HELL NO!” Red yelled and Cyan looked up to see that he’d turned on his heel, running back down the hallway that lead to topside. “Red, where are you going?” Purple demanded in a slightly breathless voice, but Red did not respond.

“We need to follow him,” Purple said, gripping Cyan’s shoulder tightly. Cyan nodded his head, even as tears continued to stream down his face.

Quickly they made their way down the hall, emerging out in front of admin in what felt like a moment. White was already standing there, blood still staining his outfit as he looked over towards Purple.

“What happened?” he asked, sounding out of breath. His words were shaky, and he sounded as though he’d recently been deep unsettled. Purple just shook his head, beckoning White forward.

“We need to get to Red, right now!”

The group of three ran after their quarry, his furious voice echoing out through the interior of the ship and guiding them. As they ran, Cyan felt his heart twisting tighter and tighter in his chest. He glanced between White and Purple as a though screamed out in his mind.

Something wasn’t right, and he knew it. Something about this situation was horribly, horribly wrong.

It was Black — it had to be him, right? Cyan couldn’t be wrong about this, because if he was wrong... he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he was wrong. He glanced between White and Purple again and even though he refused to acknowledge it on the surface of his mind, a sickness began to grow inside of his stomach.

Blue had just died, Yellow had just died, and yet the two seemed calm. He might have been imagining it, but he could have sworn he felt relief seeping from them. But that had to be wrong, he told himself. That had to be wrong, because Purple was not an Imposter.

These thoughts were banished from his mind as the three of them came to a skidding halt in weapons, an odd sight greeting them as they did. Red was in the weapons chair, and his intention was clear. He was planning on shooting Black down before he got out of range. There was one small problem, though.

Brown furiously clung to his arms, fighting him as Red shot furiously into the abyss of space in an attempt to blow Black’s ship into oblivion.

The man looked like death. His helmet had been abandoned, dark rings about his eyes and his face having taken on the hue of a sheet of paper. It looked like that of a corpse, yet those eyes gleamed with determination.

“You won’t!” he yelled, his voice louder and more commanding than Cyan had ever heard prior. “You won’t kill him! He’s an innocent man!”

“I just watched him kill Blue!” Red shrieked, fighting Brown for control of the guns. “LIKE HELL HE’S INNOCENT, YOU DELUSIONAL LUNATIC!”

“Brown, get off him…” White’s voice came from behind Cyan, and Cyan shuddered. It was icy calm and as he turned to look at White, he had the sense he was looking at a stranger and not the man he’d known for almost a year. “Don’t make me come over there.”

Red was clearly to distracted by his self-appointed task to pay any mind to White’s sudden change in personality. Brown had flinched at White’s voice, giving Red enough time to hastily aim the gun.

“NO!” Brown shoved him at the last minute and as Red fired, his aim was off. It still hit, but it only clipped the escape pod. Cyan watched it hurtle off the sensors, flying off somewhere into the depths of space.

“You little shit!” Red shoved Brown off him, landing on top of him as he wrapped his hands about his throat.

“I was right in the beginning when I suspected you! You’re sus, you need to die! I say we throw Brown out the airlock next!” His voice was cracked and full of wild keening panic. Brown choked and Cyan was about to make a move when he saw a motion out of the corner of his eye. White raised his arm, gun in hand as he aimed it at the back of Red’s head.

It all happened so suddenly. White pulled the trigger, and Cyan watched as a bloody hole appeared in Reds helmet. The man was rigid for a second, before he went limp, collapsing on top of Brown.

Brown frantically pushed him off as White let out a heavy exhale of breath.

“My heart has never beat so hard in my life. Purple — I thought you were about to throw me under the bus.” He let out a laugh and Cyan turned to stare at the weapon in his hand. A weapon that by all rights, White should not have.

“White… why do you have a gun?” Cyan said weakly, staring at the weapon. White did not respond as Purple folded his arms.

“It would have served you right — who doesn’t check to make sure they’re alone before they pop up out of a vent?” Something inside of Purple’s spacesuit began to move. Something writhing, something long slithered across his torso “You so nearly fucked us, White,” he snarled, the hostility in his voice something that Cyan could barely come to terms with.

“I’ll give you that, I _am_ very sorry,” White let out an exhale and shook his head. “What happened to Blue?”

“WHITE!” Cyan screamed, finally getting the man to look at him. He turned, along with Purple to stare at the shaking Cyan. “White… you’re an Imposter?” He stared at him, feeling disbelief pulsing through him.

“Oh, poor little Cyan. Is it a bit of a shock?” White teased.

Cyan couldn’t seem to find words. He was distracted a second later as well as he felt himself shoved out of the way. Brown rushed by him, sprinting down the hall towards nav and leaving the gathering behind him.

White’s head snapped towards the retreating from, following him like a wolf watching its prey. “Brown darling, where are you going? You know there’s no escape off this ship.”

Brown ignored White, disappearing down the hall and White shook his head.

“I hope he knows I’ll have to hold that against him, along with him interfering with our dear Red.” He shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Are you going after him?” Purple asked, his voice curt, still brewing with obvious annoyance.

“Of course,” White said, rubbing his hands together. “He and I have some time to spend together.” He paused, before adding in an ominous voice, “Have fun, Cyan! Purple’s been eager to get you alone for a while now.”

With that, White made his way over to the vent in the corner of the room, pulling it open and disappearing. Cyan stared after him, his mouth hanging open as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened.

**“Cyan,”** came a voice, distorted beyond belief but still recognizable.

**“Turn around.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we arrive at the greatly anticipated reveal. How shall Cyan react to the betrayal, the bloodshed, the lies? What has Purple got planned? Stay tuned for next week for the answers (and the smut)


	10. Friends to Lovers?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Purple and Cyan have a 'chat'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone, I hope all of you are having a good time today!
> 
> I got you all a gift, it's the gift of me releasing the next chapter of this messed up fic one day earlier than normal. I hope you all enjoy as Cyan has to face the horrible reality of the situation he's found himself in. :)

He couldn’t do it. Cyan stared at the metal wall, his body shaking as he refused to turn around. Even now, now when everything was under the light of day. Now when he had irrefutable proof, he still couldn’t believe what he’d just seen.

**“Cyan.”**

He knew that voice so well and even in its current state, it was easily recognizable. But it couldn’t be, because Orange and Black were the Imposters. Not White… definitely not Purple.

Not his Purple.

He heard movement behind him and he braced himself. A hand was placed on his left shoulder, fingers sliding up to his helmet. There was a hiss of air as Purple unscrewed his helmet and Cyan didn’t fight as he heard Purple let it drop to the floor. There was hot breath against his neck as he felt his peer lean into him. Throbbing moving bits of flesh, squirmed across his body, pressing out against Purple’s suit.

**“Are you going to run?”**

Cyan felt a the hand return to his shoulder, squeezing it gently, almost encouragingly. As though Purple wanted him to try and run. Cyan tried, he really did, but his legs wouldn’t move. His ability to flee was a million miles away at the moment, lost in space with Black and Orange. So he stood, unable to speak as he simply shook his head.

His eyes were closed, as his hands shook. This was it, he was going to die. He was going to die and it was the crewmate he had trusted the most who was going to kill him.

He felt the weight of Purple’s second hand as he began to massage Cyan’s shoulders in a soothing motion. His grip so powerful, Cyan could feel it all the way through the spacesuit that shielded him. **“You have to turn around at some point Cyan. I’m not going anywhere, and we have all the time in the world now.”**

“Why did you do it?” Cyan’s words tumbled from his mouth.

**“I killed everyone because it was what I was sent here to do,”** Purple said in a calm voice, hands still wrapped about Cyan’s shaking shoulders. **“I did the extracurricular activities because it was fun. After all Cyan, we both know it’s boring out here in space.”**

“Not that.”

Cyan turned around, Purple’s hands dropping from his shoulders as he did. He stared at the writhing tendrils that twitched from within Purple’s suit, eyes making their way down to the large mouth that had split across his middle. The mouth had a slight quirk to it, as though its owner was genuinely curious in what he had to say.

**“Then what?”**

Purple asked, the mouth on his middle moving to speak the words. Cyan wondered as he stared at that mouth, if that was the mouth Purple had always used when speaking. Somehow, he doubted it. Could Purple speak through multiple orifices then? He shook off the thought, his mind focusing on the question he knew he needed to ask. “Why did you marinate me for over a year? That’s just… that’s just cruel Purple.”

It was sick, but even after every disgusting awful thing he’d seen he couldn’t blame Purple. Not because he forgave him, but because his mind would literally not process that Purple had had anything to do with it. Even as he tried to force it to accept the reality of the situation, he could feel his mind crumbling down into a canyon of denial.

It was _White_ , his thoughts whispered. White had done all the awful stuff. Purple couldn’t have possibly enjoyed any of it, even though Cyan could have sworn he’d just admitted to enjoying all of it.

Purple scoffed as he reached out and gave Cyan a light push, the action both familiar and utterly alien. **“Don’t be ludicrous Cyan, I wasn’t marinating you.”** Cyan now knew for fact that he found Purple’s lies convincing most of the time. This one was the exception. Cyan could hear the deep ring of amusement in that warped but familiar voice. A note of mischief as the face that split Purple’s middle barely managed to keep its smirk under control

“You’re lying,” Cyan said shaking his head as his mind begged him to back away. Purple sighed, before giving a shrug of his shoulders.

**“Fine. I suppose I might have marinated you a bit.”**

Hearing him admit it was more painful that Cyan could have imagined. He felt like he was going to cry, but he held it together even as his world began to fall away, piece by piece around him. “You marinated me and now you’re going to kill me…”

Purple laughed at this. He laughed and he laughed, his voice washing over Cyan and filling the room. It seemed Cyan’s accusation genuinely amused him, though Cyan hadn’t a clue as to why. **“Cyan…”** Purple shook his head, still chuckling. “ **Cyan, if I wanted you dead, I’d have let them vote you off. But if you recall, I didn’t allow them to do that did I? I kept you safe. From them, from White, from everything.”**

“Yeah, you did. But only because I was an excellent scapegoat,” Cyan said bitterly, biting down on his bottom lip hard as he wished that he could prove that these words weren’t true. He still hadn’t cried, but he felt it would take very little to snap him now.

He wished he could say it was because of his dead crewmates, that the approaching tears were shed at the injustice all of them had suffered. But no, Cyan’s selfish little heart could only focus on one thing. Purple had used him as a shield and that stung him deep.

Purple imitated a sound of a buzzer, a wretched noise that made a shiver crawl up Cyan’s spine.

**“Wrong. Try again.”**

“You used me,” Cyan protested, even as unwilling tears began to streak down his cheeks. “You used me and lied to me and you’re going to kill me.”

**“Cyan…”**

Purple let out a sigh, before reaching up. His helmet gave a soft hiss of air as he pulled it from his face and Cyan braced himself for the horror he was sure he was going to see underneath, but his worst fears did not come to pass. It was true that tentacles of flesh, gristle and teeth snaked out from around the man’s neck, but Purple’s face remained intact.

His brown hair hung about his head, light stubble across his face. His blue eyes stared at Cyan as an exasperated smile curved up his lips. Cyan couldn’t help but note that the mouth that split his middle also wore a similar grin.

**“If I was really just using you, your usability would have run out around the time you became a problem,”** He said in a wry voice. **“You stuck to me like velcro Cyan, beyond what I had expected. You made it very hard to kill. If I really did want you dead, I would have let us get separated and gotten White to finish you off. It would have been easy”**

He tilted his head to the side, an eyebrow raised.

**“But I didn’t, did I?”**

Cyan found that his mind was all too willing to believe the words Purple was throwing his way. It clung to them. He’s telling the truth, he must be. Cyan bit his lower lip, his heart speeding up. This time though, it wasn’t just from overwhelming fear. “Why protect me?” His eyes searched the others face, trying to discern emotion from it.

**“I bet you can guess.”** Purple almost sounded playful and despite his warped voice, his answer was almost enough to make Cyan forget that Red’s dead body was sitting on the floor only feet from him. Even in this state, Purple was still Purple, and his words caused Cyan’s pulse to jump.

Oh god, he though as he stared at Purple, watching as the fleshy tentacles writhed about his form like some eldritch horror. Black had been right, Cyan was obsessed. Here it was, proof of the man’s crimes, and all he wanted to do was kiss him.

“Because you…” Cyan trailed off, unable to make himself say it. He couldn’t imagine what it would mean, if it was even right. It’s not, whispered a small voice in the back of his mind. A voice that was becoming easier and easier to ignore by the second as that canyon of denial widened and deepened.

Purple stepped forward, placing a hand on his cheek and Cyan nearly melted right then and there. He leaned in and Cyan closed his eyes as he felt the other’s lips brush against his.

He wanted to be more reluctant, but he pressed forward, unable to help himself. He had waited for that kiss for so long. He wrapped his hands around Purple’s shoulders, flinching slightly as the tendrils caressed at him. But that was Purple’s tentacle, so he supposed he didn’t mind.

Purple placed a firm hand on the back of his head and for a second the two stayed locked together like that. Cyan’s body lit up with warmth, a warmth that banished away every horrible thing he’d seen. He ran a hand through Purple’s hair, fingers lingering in it as he forced away everything else.

Then Purple abruptly pulled away, leaving Cyan unbalanced as he took a step back. Cyan staggered slightly, before righting himself and looking at Purple in confusion. The man’s blue eyes surveyed Cyan and Cyan couldn’t help but notice the subtle change in his expression. A cloud seemed to have passed, blocking out the glow that had come from his victory. He looked, irritated.

Cyan had seen that look before. He’d seen it when Purple had been ranting about Lime or complaining about the food onboard the Skeld. Never before though, had it been aimed at him.

“Purple, is everything okay?” Cyan said weakly, taking a small step back from the Imposter. He wasn’t sure why, but alarms were going off in his head. Purple stepped forward, matching his stride.

**“Everything’s fine Cyan. I’m just happy that now, you and I will actually get to spend some one on one time together. Something I’ve been quite eager for.”**

The words were inviting enough, but there was a dangerous rumble somewhere in the back of Purple’s voice as a drooling tongue flicked out from between those sharp teeth. Within his phrase, Cyan couldn’t help but feel that there was some sort of threat being made towards him. He took another step back, only to have Purple match his stride again.

As he did, Cyan glanced behind him, a sweat building up on his skin. It seemed that Purple was very purposely backing him into a wall.

“I...” Cyan stuttered over his words, taking another step back as he realized that he was about to be cornered.

**“What’s wrong Cyan? I thought you loved me. You should want this to.”**

Cyan nearly choked at hearing those words come out of Purples mouth. He nodded his head quickly. “Of course I do I just…” He trailed off, a lump in his throat. “Purple, are you made at me? You seem mad at me...”

Purple paused, and this time Cyan was sure he saw a flicker of anger on the man’s face. **“You know, I am a _bit_ pissed off,”** he confirmed as Cyan’s back hit the metal wall, Purple’s figure blocking any hope of escape.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Cyan asked, his voice taking on an anxious pitch.

Purple tilted his head. **“Well let’s see. White’s been driving me up a wall and he nearly cost us both a victory because he couldn’t be bothered to check his surroundings. The food here still sucks and you’ve been tailing me like a lost puppy since all of this began making it very hard to strategize.”**

“I’m sorry…” Began Cyan, but Purple held up a finger.

**“Then,” he said, his voice growing a touch deeper as he spoke, “when you finally, _finally_ go off to do something by yourself and give me some time to plan, I catch you minutes later whoring yourself out in the bathroom!”**

Purple’s hands slammed on either side of Cyan’s head and now he was full on glaring. His blue eyes flashed with dangerous intent and Cyan couldn’t help but notice the dents his violent motion had made in the metal.

“Oh… you saw that?” Cyan squeaked as he felt his cheeks flush with heat, a creeping horror in his stomach that only deepened as the consequences of his action suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. “But I only did that because…”

**“You wanted to be ready for me,”** Purple growled, Cyan shrinking slightly. **“I know, I saw the whole _exchange_.”**

Cyan gulped, feeling a bit nauseas. It wasn’t just because Purple was angry at him either. Even as he tried to drown out the thoughts, a single thought pulled itself kicking and screaming to the forefront of his mind.

“Purple,” Cyan said meekly as the other man leaned in, staring him down. “Am I the reason you… that Yellow was killed?” He couldn’t do it, couldn’t bring himself to say that it had been Purple. His mind would not allow it.

**“Not the only reason,” Purple said, his glare causing Cyan to shake slightly. “But yes. It did have _something_ to do with you.”**

Purple’s face was odd looking when it was up this close. As Cyan stared closely could see odd lines in the man’s flesh, like seams hidden in fabric. Had they always been there he wondered? Purple’s expression turned slightly musing as he tilted his head.

**“Of course, I forgave Yellow in the end. He paid his dues in full after all.”** A slight smirk had returned to his face, some of the anger leaving his expression as he continued. “ **You however, you have some ground you have to make up.”**

Cyan gulped, feeling his limbs beginning to tremble as his mind assured him he had every right to be afraid. “What are you going to do to me?” He asked, feeling like a scared rabbit cornered by a wolf.

**“Use your imagination,”** Purple said once more leaning in and forcing his lips against Cyan’s. Cyan let out a gasp, but didn’t resist as Purple’s right hand grabbed his throat, lightly squeezing in a threatening gesture.

Purple’s left hand roughly caressed his face as his tongue slid into the others mouth. Except it wasn’t a tongue was it? It was too long Cyan realized as the wet thing traced across the inside of his mouth. The tentacle slid with ease, dragging along nerve endings that had ached for this sort of simulation since the day he and Purple had first met.

Cyan pressed forward, feeling the long slippery ‘tongue’ slide deeper down his throat. He almost gagged on the width, but he felt an odd desperation inside of him. His mind was at war with himself as he necked with the monster who’d raped and killed a good number of his peers. Not just because this was a horribly immoral position for Cyan to be in, but because he’d seen firsthand what Purple was capable of and Purple had already said he was mad at him. Purple was clearly intent on punishing him.

So it’s better to go along with it, whispered a poisonous little voice in his mind. He won’t hurt you if you just give him what he wants. What you want.

Purple pressed his lips down harder, his grip tightening around Cyan’s throat. It was getting a bit hard to breathe, but Cyan didn’t fight as the tentacle that acted as a tongue slithered deeper and deeper down, as though it was keen on touching every inch Cyan’s throat. Even as it became nigh impossible to suck in breath, Cyan didn’t fight the Imposter. He didn’t want to upset Purple more than he already had. He braced himself slightly, hand grasped on Purple’s shoulder as dark patches swam across his vision.

Finally, when he was sure he couldn’t take it a second longer, he felt Purple’s tongue slither out of his throat. Purple released his neck, his lips finding it as he planted a kiss on Cyan’s exposed throat.

A shiver ran up Cyan’s body as he felt sharp teeth nip at the skin of his neck. Purple’s lips pressed down harder and Cyan let out a squeak as he felt a sharp sliver of pain erupt from the location Purple’s lips were stained bloody as he pulled them away and Cyan could feel hot blood flowing out of the small laceration left behind.

He made a move to wipe it a way, but Purple caught his hand, forcing it above his head. He leaned back in, pressing his lips back to Cyan’s neck. Cyan yelped as he felt the shooting pain again as Purple bit him, digging serrated teeth into Cyan’s unprepared flesh. It hurt and with each bite Cyan felt his will weakening. He didn’t like the pain, though realistically he knew the wounds that Purple left were quite shallow.

“Purple, s… stop…” He protested, even though he was sure he shouldn’t bother asking. Purple wasn’t going to listen to him. Purple didn’t care what he had to say.

Purple’s hand clamped across his mouth as the Imposter let out a hiss. He leaned off to the side and with a sudden motion, he lunged, digging teeth into Cyan’s shoulder. His teeth were lake blades, slicing through the fabric of his suit and tearing into the flesh beneath. Cyan let out a squeal, tensing as he felt the searing agony.

**“Shut the fuck up Cyan!”**

Purple warned as his hand still firmly in place as he returned to Cyan’s neck, continuing on his quest to make it leak blood. **“Don’t forget you’re the one who decided to go jump on a dick the moment I turned my back. You understand you deserve this, right?”** Cyan meekly nodded his head, his breathing sharp as Purple continued to lay bite after bite across his exposed neck. Purple removed his hand, allowing Cyan to continue his whimpering.

**“You need to learn how to take it rough.”** Purple said as he roughly turned Cyan’s face, beginning to bite at the unmarked side of his neck. **“Don’t be such a baby Cyan. I’m just making sure you remember who you belong to.”**

Cyan did not respond, his eyes once more tightly shut as Purple left a trail of stinging flesh along his neck. He felt Purple’s hand reach behind him as the man began to detach his oxygen. There was hisses as he pulled it loose, stripping the pack from Cyan’s back. Once it was gone, Purple’s fingers quested along Cyan’s back until they found his zipper.

Purple’s bites turned once more to gentle kisses as Cyan felt him slowly unzipping Cyan’s uniform. He pulled down until he reached Cyan’s waist, abandoning the zipper as his hands moved up Cyan’s skin. Cyan flinched as he felt the sharp touch of claws against his flesh.

Cyan felt the hands rub up his chest, running across his chest, as they came up to his shoulder. The lacerations from Purple’s teeth gave a sting as Purple pulled his suit from him, sliding it over his arms and exposing his chest and allowing the suit to hang about Cyan’s waist in an awkward fashion.

Purple’s hands slid across his chest, and for the first time Cyan caught sight of the claws they’d become. They were massive, curving and pointed. They trailed of his chest, leaving light blossoming bits of blood in their wake. Purple paused as his nipples, rubbing against them with the points of his claws. Cyan clenched his fists as he felt pain shooting from them, Purple’s touching bringing beads of blood to the surface.

**“Take it.”**

Purple encouraged, pushing down with his sharp fingers. Cyan gasped, slamming his head back against the wall as he felt the claws sink down into the flesh of his nips. It was shockingly painful, and he felt his eyes shutting as Purple lovingly teased them in deeper. Finally, with a contented sound Purple removed his claws, allowing Cyan to sag forward, blood dripping down his chest.

**“Down.”**

Cyan didn’t get a chance to react before he was roughly pushed to his knees. He landed hard, out of breath from the last activity as he looked up, finding himself face to face with the gaped tooth maw. The mouth that split Purple’s chest was curved up into smile and he stared at it, some part of his mind that this was the closest he’d ever been to seeing Purple’s true form.

**“Now you get to kiss me for real.”**

Purple said, speaking with the gaping wound of a mouth that ran along his middle. Cyan felt a nervous shudder run through him, his eyes tracing the curves of those massive teeth. They were massive, at least half the size of Cyan’s palm. They gleamed, sharp and flecked with red. Purple’s breath smelled of blood, but that didn’t convince Cyan to move as the other leaned forward, tongue slipping up his chin and across his face.

It was thick and long, carrying with it an oddly sweet odor which he could not place. It was alien in nature, just like the creature it clung to. The tongue caressed him again, before Purple once more spoke.

**“Open your mouth wide Cyan.”**

Cyan dutifully did as he was told, opening his mouth as wide as he could. He felt the thick extremity to slide into it, the slime coating his mouth the second it was inside. He winced slightly at the taste. It wasn’t just blood that he tasted, but something more rooted in an abstract sense of dread. Like he could taste Purple’s bloodlust just through his kiss.

Purple leaned forward, teeth grazing against Cyan’s chin as he extended that massive tongue deeper down into Cyan’s tight throat. Cyan whimpered, his jaw beginning to ache as he felt a hand curl through his hair, pushing his mouth further forward as the tongue slipped down deeper and deeper.

It was thick and slimy, moving with an intelligence that was unnerving as it explored Cyan’s throat. He heard a gurgle of a sigh erupt from somewhere within the body of Purple, though he couldn’t be sure as to where it had come from.

**“There we go, nice and deep. At least I know your throat hasn’t been used by anyone else.”**

Cyan looked up, gagging as the tongue slid further into his throat and his eyes widened as he saw the distortions were getting worse. It was as though the figure of Purple wanted to come apart at the seams, wanted to dissolve down into whatever it was at its purest form.

Cyan closed his eyes again, feeling the fingers that were lodged in his hair slowly beginning to stroke through is locks. Clawed fingers teased at his scalp, though they didn’t press down nearly hard enough to inflect any sort of damage.

It was almost calming and as he felt the fingers reach down and press against his cheek, for a second his mind forgot what was happening around him.

He leaned forward, even as his jaws ached from the width of the tongue and he let out a gagged moan as he felt the end of the tongue going so far down he was shocked it hadn’t triggered his damn gag reflex. It was as he did this that he realized that breathing was once more becoming… tricky. His air supply needed to be replenished and the tongue down his throat was not making that task easy.

Cyan was worried he was going to pass out, puke, or possibly both by the time he felt the tongue starting to retract. Purple gripped his chin wiping his own drool from the other’s lips as he finally pulled free, clearing Cyan’s passages. Cyan hacked and coughed, wheezing as his lungs gratefully took in air.

He could feel Purple surrounding him. Throbbing reaching flesh was beginning to descend down around him. He could see it out of the corner of his eye, the writhing, but he couldn’t bring himself to look. The fragile grasp he had on this situation was slowly slipping away and he was afraid of what would happen to him when it did.

He could see the spacesuit that surrounded Purple beginning to collapse slightly as whatever Purple’s real form was began to squirm about. He felt something catch on the zipper behind him and with a yank it his suit was fully unzipped. He let out a slight gasp as his suit was peeled from him, Purple sinking down to his undulating knees as he guided the suit from Cyan’s body, tossing it across the floor.

Cyan finally saw his face and he put a hand over his mouth.

**“Can you see the seams?”**

Purple asked, a low laugh filling the dead air around Cyan. Cyan’s mouth was open as he watched the flesh slowly make its way apart. Liquid seeped out from the cracks, sliding down the open cavity of the face as he saw fleshes of red and white. Flashes of teeth and meat.

**“I asked a question.”**

Purple snapped his sharp fingers, making Cyan jolt. “Y… yes. I can see them.” Cyan said as he felt Purple’s many tentacles tenderly ran across his body.

**“Do they upset you?”**

The question almost sounded genuine. As though Purple really was curious if his prey was disturbed by his real form. Not prey, I’m not prey Cyan’s mind assured him. “I don’t know…” Cyan said after a second, taking in a shaky breath of air. Did they upset him? Was there enough of his mind left to be upset?

Tentacles moved to his legs, pressing them upwards and over his head. He could feel the nick of teeth that were imbedded in some of them cutting at his flesh, but this was easily ignored as Purple reached over and lazily took hold of his dick.

His claws ran across Cyan’s tender genital, rubbing up and down, before the tentacles swarmed across it, wrapping themselves around it in an undulating fashion. Cyan let out a moan as Purple’s fingers slid down, hands taking hold of Cyan’s cheeks and spreading them apart.

**“There it is.”**

Purple let out a sigh and shook his head.

**“I’ll admit, it still looks tempting even if it has been used.”**

“I’m sorry Purple.” Cyan gasped out, finding it hard to concentrated as the Imposters thick tentacles took turns squeezing his penis. They twirled about it, compressing his balls as they spread their sticky lubricant all across him.

**“Good.”**

Purple said and Cyan gave a small squeak as he felt a clawed finger stick inside. “Purple, your claws…” He protested. Purple shot him a look, his flayed face narrowing its eyes. Cyan would not bite his tongue on this one though. “Please, I know you’re mad at me but don’t do that…” He said, squirming as the tentacles became slightly rougher.

**“Hmmm.”**

Purple seemed to consider him, before a half smile crept onto his face. **“Okay Cyan, I’ll put the claws away _this_ time.”** He lifted his hand and Cyan felt relief wash over him as he watched the claws shrink back down into a facsimile of a human hand.

With this modification, Purple fingers were shoved into Cyan’s exposed asshole. Cyan gave a yip as his tight asshole ached slightly from the touch. Purple clearly had no intent on being gentle as he slipped his fingers back and forth, his motions impatient. Cyan twitched and whimpered with each blow, feeling his asshole puckering as Purple worked it without mercy.

He could barely think about his surroundings, warmth thundering through his body even as his bloody neck ached from the torture it had endured. Cyan couldn’t help but squeak as he felt the fingers pop out from him, leaving his throbbing ass aching for more attetion. His chest heaved up and down, fingers twitching.

**“Cyan, you’re drooling.”**

Cyan flushed a deep red and he wished he could hide his face as he realized that Purple as right. A string of drool had leaked from between his flustered lips, and he felt it pool on his chest. Even as he become aware of this, he felt himself cum, the white spurt blocked, his semen distributing among the tentacles as they continued their frenzied pace about his dick.

**“Your ass is still so nice and tight.”** Purple purred, fingers that had now returned to their natural clawed state dragging up Cyan’s butt. **“And here I was worried Blue might have stretched you out a bit.”** Cyan trembled as he felt his dick hardening once again.

“I’m glad… ah… you like it Purple.” He managed to moan out.

Purple let out a laugh. “ **That’s always been a plus to you Cyan, you’re very compliant. I like that in a human.”** Cyan’s breath shuddered as he felt a thick warm tongue slide across his asshole. He wanted so badly to squeeze his legs together, but he was held prone by the tentacles that swathed him.

**“I’ll give you a treat for that Cyan, before I finish punishing you.”**

Cyan wanted to ask what Purple meant by punishing him, but as he felt a probing tongue tease at his asshole his breath left him. Purple’s massive tongue pressed in, working its way into his trembling hole.

It was overwhelming, the thick thing forcing itself in, its sticky saliva easily paving the way for the warm thing. Cyan’s hole was aching as he felt just how thick the thing was, but the movement inside of him was beyond sensational. His nerve endings sparked as the tongue slithered over them, causing him to cry out.

With every inch of progress it made, Cyan felt more and more of him giving in. Any qualms he’d previously had were vanishing in the burning fire that was lust and he felt his cheeks burning a hot red as he felt himself cum again. “Purple… that’s feels so nice…” He slurred, panting for breath. “Your tongue is so fucking big.”

**“Damn Cyan, I’m so close to forgiving you.”**

Purple let out a feral sounding snarl and Cyan moaned loudly as he felt another inch of Purple’s thing tongue slid inside of him. **“But I can’t have you learning that it’s that easy to get out of a punishment. It will cause problems for us both later.”**

Cyan knew he should probably be listening to Purple’s threats, but he was far too focused on the tongue that was impaled inside of him. It was fucking ecstasy and he felt as though he might lose his mind, wrapped up in the warmth of Purple’s tendrils.

As Purple slowly slipped his tongue out, Cyan felt himself cum one last time, just as the tip slid out from him. He trembled in Purple’s grip, his breaths coming in gasps as sweat stung the bloody marks about his neck.

**“Did you enjoy yourself Cyan?”**

Purple asked, clearly already aware of the answer. Cyan weakly nodded his head, fairly sure that he was drooling again. He couldn’t help it, his ass felt like heaven right at that moment, his dick aching from the overstimulation. “Yes Purple.” He obediently said.

**“You look tired.”** Purple’s voice had a teasing note to it. Once more Cyan nodded, feeing as though between the death, betrayal and sex, every last bit of his willpower had been sapped.

**“You’re not done yet though.”**

Cyan raised his head, staring over towards Purple in confusion. It was then that he saw something, rising up from the fleshy mass that was his lover. A thick and throbbing thing was winding its way out from the suit sagging Purple suit.

It caught Cyan’s eyes as it moved. It was thick and unlike the red flesh about him, it had a darker, almost purplish hue. It was thick and throbbing, with a curving fat tip at the end. Cyan watched it move, his eyes tracking it as his breath once again quickened. He had no idea what he was looking at, but there was an odd feeling beginning to build again in his chest. It was a feeling of fear as he tried to identify what this strange new tendril might be.

The thing was massive and had on oddly knotted looking texture. It was dotted and what appeared to be many tiny holes, all of them about half the size of a penny. He’d have said it was infected if he’d seen it on any other sort of creature, but something told him that this wasn’t the case when it came to Purple.

Purple’s hand reached up, massaging the end of it and Cyan saw a shudder move through his body. Cyan felt a lump in his throat as the bizarre tentacle dropped down, Purple’s hand guiding it in-between Cyan’s legs that were slick with spittle. Purple’s mutilated face looked up, catching his eyes.

**“You have a question Cyan?”** He asked in a knowing voice.

Cyan couldn’t speak, but rather gestured towards the menacing looking tendril that hovered in front of him. **“That would be a breeding tentacle,”** Purple said, a hint of a smirk in his voice. **“You should feel lucky really, I’ve never giving any human the privilege of enjoying it.”**

“What does it do?” Cyan asked, his heart pounding against his ribs as his bad feeling grew.

**“It does a good many things, but primarily it’s meant to exchanged DNA.”**

That was vague, and clearly purposely so. Cyan squinted at the thing, staring closer at the tip of it. There seemed to be something shiny hidden just out of sight, but Cyan couldn’t be sure. If he was honest, the thing that was making him most nervous was the size. It wasn’t just thick, it was also knobby. From where he sat, the thickest parts of the thing were about the same girth of a baseball bat.

“Is… is this my punishment?” Cyan asked as his insides began to clench up, his ass already aching at the sight of the thick object.

**“Yes.”**

Purple said, rubbing a clawed finger lovingly down it. “It’s a bit large,” Cyan whispered in a quietly pleading voice. Purple let out a laugh as the thing moved forward, rubbing itself against Cyan’s now clenched asshole.

**“I have faith in you. Now relax, it will make it easier.”**

Cyan bit his lip, stifling a gasp as the massive thing began to press down. His slippery hole betrayed him, opening up and welcoming in the protrusion. The tip was so hard. Unlike Purple’s teasing tongue, it felt stiff as it pressed its way into him.

The flesh that followed after was far gentler, leaving Cyan to question why the tip had been so unyielding as his breathing got steadily more panicked. Cyan moaned as he felt himself behind opened up. He gritted his teeth as his asshole began to stretch to its limits, sharp spurts of pain zinging through him as he felt the rim tremble. The texture was bizarre, the small holes pressing tight against his insides as Purple guided the tentacle inside of him.

At least he was being gentle, Cyan though, tears stinging his eyes as the width of the tentacle caused sparks of pain to erupt inside of him. He felt Purple’s claw gently tease the outside rim of his ass and he let out a gasp, pressing himself against the wall a bit harder.

**“You look pretty full there Cyan, think I could get a finger in?”**

Cyan frantically shook his head, a slurry of whimpering exiting his mouth as he was unable to find his words. Purple let out a soft snicker as he rubbed his finger along the rim of Cyan’s straining hole, before with a malicious motion forcing the tip of his sharp finger inside.

“PURPLE!” Cyan squealed, thrashing against the tentacles that held him as it all became to much.

Purple ignored him as he worked the finger methodically against the burning rim of muscles. **“Don’t be a baby Cyan, you’re fine,”** he said as Cyan continued to struggle. **“Now hold still, or I’ll put another one in.”**

Cyan moaned, but with hands clenched into fists, he did as he was told. He was shocked he hadn’t torn already and somewhere deep down his mind assured him that one more finger was all his body needed to finally fall apart.

**“Good boy,”** Purple purred and Cyan could have cried in relief as he felt the Imposter slide his finger back, allowing his asshole squeeze back in around the thick tentacle inside of him. He then felt the Imposter’s weight shift as Purple leaned in. Cyan gazed with tear muddled eyes up into the face above him. Purple had knitted himself back together and Cyan wondered why he’d bothered. Was it for his sake he wondered?

Everything was the same, accept for one striking feature. Eyes that did not belong to Purple looked down at him as a the mouth that split Purple’s chest ran a hot tongue across Cyan’s bare middle. Purple’s eye were no longer blue, but rather a color more fitting for the name Cyan had come to know him by. His purple orbs were deep, inhuman and oddly beautiful. It was like looking into a galaxy, swirling orbs of light somewhere inside of them.

Cyan wondered why he chose to change them now, but this question was lost as he felt Purple’s tentacle wind deeper and deeper into him. How long was it? How far did Purple intend to push it?

**“A bit more.”** Purple muttered quietly, and Cyan got the feeling he was talking to himself. He watched as the Imposter’s eyes lit up as a shiver seemed to move through his body, a soft moan escaped his mouth.

**“You feel so nice Cyan.”** He sighed, as he pressed himself down onto Cyan’s chest. Cyan whimpered as he felt the mouth on Purple’s stomach begin to bite slightly, nipping at the already damaged skin on the front of his chest. Purple pressed his all to human face into Cyan’s neck once more, kissing and licking at the bloody wounds that he’d left behind. Cyan barely noticed, the pressure in his ass fully stealing away all of his attention. He did notice though when Purple tensed, letting out a small gasp.

**“I think… yes… that’s the perfect spot.”**

Cyan felt the tentacle give an odd shuddering inside of him as Purple’s hands laced through his hair. There was a tremble in those hands, anxious and oddly filled with need. As though Purple was about to release something he’d been holding onto for quite a while.

Suddenly, his weight became heavy on Cyan and the man founded that he had been pinned beneath Purple. **“Now Cyan, before I start I’ll tell you that this will hurt you.”** Purple said, leaning in so he and Cyan were face to face. **“But you can take comfort in the fact that it will feel so… so good for me.”**

Cyan stared at him, his heartrate skyrocketing as he came to the conclusion that it wasn’t the width of this thing that Purple was using to punish him. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but before he could his words were broken off into a loud wail.

His legs flailed as he felt something, sharp and piercing digging into the wall of his insides and digging in deep. It was like some sort of stinger had emerged from the appendage and was now lodged deep inside of his oh so vulnerable asshole.

Cyan struggled as Purple easily held him down. **“Relax,”** Purple growled, his tentacle beginning to throb with motion. **“It’s only just begun.”**

As Cyan’s mind came to term with the idea that he’d just been stabbed, he felt the tentacle beginning to swell. The already to large thing was growing larger and he let out a scream as his asshole went from strained, to agony in a second.

That wasn’t all though. He felt those small divots in the tentacle pressing tightly up against his flesh, before suddenly flaring pain swelled within him. Sharp jabbing needles speared into him, securing the tentacle in place inside of him.

Amidst crippling agony, Cyan felt Purple tense. His mouth descended as Cyan was caught mid scream as his insides filled with fire. Purple ground his lips into Cyan’s mouth, hands clasping about his head.

Purple was clearly effected by whatever he was doing to Cyan, his raw lust leaking out to the surface as his clawed hand dragged over Cyan’s writhing body. Though his grip did not loosen, his whole body was shaking now, and his breathing had stopped.

It occurred to Cyan through the tidal wave of feelings, that it was likely that Purple did not actually need to breathe. At least, not through his mouth. This thought was quickly buried as something viciously hot began to spew forth from the tip of the injected stinger. Cyan thrashed, trying to scream out, but remaining muted by Purple’s lips.

He felt the Imposter’s other tongue wrap about his dick, forcing it to once more harden even in the midst of agony. As the anguish built, Purple’s motions about his penis became more insistent and he felt himself hardening to the point of climax. His legs thrashed in the air as his body began to twitch sporadically, his mind frantically wondering what Purple had injected him with.

Purple’s mouth stayed firmly on his, up to the point that he felt the sharp barb slide from the throbbing wound it had created. He felt odd sensations radiating out from inside of him. First it was freezing cold, then searing heat. He felt himself finally cum as the needles began to pop out one by one, the tentacle dwindling back down to its original size.

Finally, Purple removed his lips a self-satisfied sigh leave him. “ **It’s been to long since I’ve properly mated.”**

“What did you do to me? What did you… you put in me?” Cyan asked, his voice hoarse and scared as his body twitched. Whatever Purple had just injected, it was clearly affecting him in some way. Something about his insides did not feel right.

**“It’s not lasting,”** Purple said dismissively, causally wiping away a tear from Cyan’s stained face. **“Just my genetic material. If you were an Imposter, your body would take that and combine it with your own to create the beginnings of a new life. Since your human though, I suspect the worst it will do is make you a bit queasy.”**

Cyan groaned and Purple’s grin grew larger at his obvious discomfort. Cyan’s suffering was acute, the injection a step below the pain that he felt as his insides bleed from the punctures left inside of them.

**“Have we learned our lesson Cyan?”**

Cyan frantically nodded his head, his entire body trembling. He really _really_ did not want to give Purple a reason to do that again.

**“Good,”** Purple said, nodding his head. **“Then I suppose I can forgive you.”** Cyan closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks as he took in shaky breaths. Purple’s hand rested against his cheek, stroking it. His touch was once more gentle, his malice appearing to be spent for the time being.

**“You look tuckered Cyan.”** He commented, pushing himself off of Cyan’s limp body. Cyan attempted to get up as well, pressing his shaking arm to the floor to hoist himself form it. The limb crumpled, unable to bear his weight. He collapsed back to the floor, shivering there as his body continued to spasm slightly.

With a fluid motion, Purple slide an arm around him, hoisting him up to his feet as the Imposter took most of his weight with ease. Cyan could feel something leaking out of his gaping asshole, but he couldn’t be sure what exactly it was. The substance slithered down his legs, trickling. A mixture of blood and something else.

Purple’s tentacles were retracting, the large and painful one sliding out of sight and leaving the man quite normal looking. He pushed a lock of hair from his face as he supported Cyan, holding him tight to his side. “You know, you’re lucky really. Because of Black, we have access to the bunks again. Want to catch a bit of rest?”

His voice was back to normal now and Cyan stared at him, his mind refusing to believe that just seconds ago Purple had been some sort of alien creature, some sort of monster. He was just Purple now. The Purple Cyan had known since the beginning.

“I…” For a second, his mind glitched. One last attempt was made as it tried to force Cyan to look over the actions of Purple. To review them. It was alarming how easily Cyan dismissed them as he leaned into Purple’s embrace, breath still shaky.

“Yes, yes I do want to sleep. Please,” Cyan said, looking up at Purple with tired eyes.

“Good choice.” Purple grunted as he reached down, scooping Cyan casually off his feet and into the Imposter’s arms. Cyan did not question the man’s strength. He was after all an alien.

“What happens now?” He asked, leaning his head forward against Purple’s neck as he closed his eyes.

“We can talk about it after you sleep,” Purple’s voice bore no room for argument, so Cyan just nodded his head. He felt them begin to move, wincing at the pain that still radiate threw him. He was so caught up in it, that when he heard the muffled cry he couldn’t identify it for a second. Then it sounded again and he raised his head.

They were in the admin hallway. To his left, the admin door sat, locked and sealed. Brown’s plaintive shriek had come from inside and Cyan flinched at the noise. He could hear the murmur of White’s voice through the door and huddled closer to Purple, pulling himself tightly against the man’s body.

“What’s going to happen to Brown?” Cyan asked, already sure he didn’t want to know the answer. Purple paused, glancing at the door. Cyan saw an apathetic look on his face as another cry erupted from behind it.

“No idea,” Purple responded as he began to walk again, his boots clanking lightly against the metal stairs as he entered through the doorway that lead down to bunks. “That’s White’s business, not ours.” Cyan shivered, his mind mentally repressing away what might be going on upstairs. He closed his eyes and cuddled his head back down into Purple. After all, Purple was right. It wasn’t any of his business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cyan's decided to go full simp. Next chapter we get to find out what Brown and White are up to.


	11. Brown's really bad no good terrible day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White and Brown   
> sitting in a tree  
> K I S S I N G... sortive -_-'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever heard the meme version of the song 'run rabbit run'? That can apply to this entire chapter.   
> So we come to the final smut scene before the last chapter. Enjoy fellow sadists!

“Ohhh Brown…”

The voice echoed through the once life filled halls of the Skeld, bouncing off the metal around Brown’s head. Brown was running, running as fast as his legs could carry him. He slammed off walls in his frantic attempt to escape the ever-taunting voice that seemed to always be just a step behind him

The last couple days had been nothing but a sleep deprived haze for him. Without his medication to keep him steady, he was slipping and with White’s constant presence he was falling deeper and deeper into a dark pit he couldn’t get out from. It had been so long since he’d had any proper sleep,.

White… he hadn’t left Brown alone during those days. What must have looked to the average outsider as genuine concern, was actually nothing but sickly sweet whispered promises of what the Imposter would do to him once they were alone. Promises that were always veiled to the point, that Brown found he could not tell exactly what the Imposter was eluding to. Perhaps if he’d had more sleep, he’d have been able to take a guess.

No matter now though. No doubt he would find out soon enough. After all, it was all over and White had him right where he wanted him.

He supposed he could have risked the escape pods, but no… if he’d done that then he couldn’t have saved Black. Tried to save Black, he still wasn’t sure if Red’s shot had managed to do enough damage to kill the crewmate inside.

Skeld was in deep space right now, it was true, but even in his ever-worsening state Brown hadn’t just been sitting around. After White had revealed himself, Brown had gotten to work sneaking off to comms when no one was looking.

It was shockingly easy to slip away from Red, the man constantly wrapped up in his own thoughts. Brown would sneak off to comms, searching for any radio signal that might indicate life other than themselves in this vast void.

There had been nothing but radio silence, until today.

Brown skidded to a stop, pressing his back up against a wall as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat poured from his brow as his hands compulsively shook. There was no stopping them anymore, the twitching just part of who Brown was at this point in time.

It had been a sort of miracle, that blip in the radio. Sure, he hadn’t been able to send out a message to them, but he’d been able to get the coordinates to where it had originated from. It hadn’t been anything much, just a static conversation, but it had been close enough that Brown thought Black had a real chance of surviving the trip.

Black’s coordinates had been specific. Brown had frantically feed them into the ship, hands sweating in his gloves as he’d input them from nav. He’d hoped it would be enough, still hoped it would be enough. If only he’d been more attentive.

As odd as it seemed, he’d dozed off after sending the coordinates, collapsing into a chair and resting his eyes. He hadn’t meant to sleep, but he’d just been so tired and with White distracted it seemed like a good time.

He’d only awoken when he’d heard the guns in weapons firing. It was a good thing Red was a lousy shot, because he’d gotten a couple free goes at it before Brown had interrupted him. He’d tried to stop Red from making a choice that he was sure the man wouldn’t have made if he’d known.

If he’d only known.

“You can’t run forever Brown.”

Brown launched himself from the wall, returning to his desperate attempt to flee. White’s voice was still normal, but that would change soon. Brown was sure of that. Part of him just wanted to give up, just wanted to curl up into a ball on the floor and hope White would be gentle.

That’s what he’d probably do… in the end. Now though, he wanted to run – even if there was nowhere to run to. He wished he’d had some clever plan to save himself. Half thought out ideas lingered in the back of his head, jostling at each other to come to the forefront. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn’t get his mind to focus on a single one of them.

He dashed passed comms, and for a second he considered ducking inside. Maybe he could get a message out, maybe there was someone there…

These thoughts were gone the moment he passed the door, his eyes fixing in front of him. The mass of crates loomed, as he skidded into the Skeld’s storage. His frenzied flight through the halls came to a close as he stumbled, stopping himself. He had to hide, it was his only chance is sleep deprived mind informed him.

Frantically, he flung himself behind one of the boxes, ducking his head in his hands. For a second, it was just him and his heartbeat thudding away painfully in his chest. Him and his thoughts, him and his fears and his painfully heavy regrets. And then…

Tap tap tap

He could hear White’s unhurried footsteps behind him, entering into the room that Brown was crouching in. _What was happening to Cyan_ , he wondered as he pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to breathe only through his nose as his whole body trembled.

What was Purple going to do to him? The relationship between the two, the crewmate and the Imposter, was not something Brown could say he understood. It walked the line of obsession and attraction in a fashion that disturbed him deeply. Cyan and Purple did share some sort of bond. A sick sort of bond, but a real one. For this reason, Brown was sure that Purple would not kill Cyan. At least, not yet.

Him and White didn’t share that sort of bond – Brown understood what he was to White. He was a toy, a toy that White was no doubt eager to play with now that his mission was complete.

Tap tap tap

The sound came again, but this time it wasn’t made by footsteps. Someone drummed their fingers on the box above him, making Brown’s blood freeze in his veins. He could feel a presence hovering over him, observing him with malicious intent.

“Brown, you know that your hair is visible right?” A hand reached down and stroked his head, fingers tousling his auburn locks. Brown shrieked, leaping up from his hiding spot and stumbling back. White stood there, still quite human looking as he gave a small wave to the panicked Brown. Brown turned, once more breaking into a run. White’s laughter followed him as he ran straight up, his fevered dash taking him towards the Cafeteria.

Swish

The door slammed shut in his face, and on instinct Brown made a choice he already knew he regretted. His feet swiveled, taking him directly into Admin. He realized as he made his way into the all to small room, that maybe heading down into the bunks would have been the better bet. In bunks there were items he could have used. Hell, he might have even been able to get his hands on Pinks gun.

But so many days of that door being a locked barrier had left Brown trained not to even bother trying to open it. So when it had come down to the critical choice, his sleep and med deprived mind had steered him wrong, forcing him to rush into familiar yet dangerous territory.

Even as he skittered to a halt, turning around to correct his mistake, the admin door shut with a sharp woosh. For a second and only a second, Brown felt a wave of relief. White had accidently shut himself out his mind though, celebrating in giddy relief. As long at the door was locked, Brown was safe from him. It was as he thought this, his eyes wandered to the grate in the floor.

The only one locked in a precarious position was him he realized as he stared at the floor. He backed away, heart hammering in his hjest as he waited. Once more, silence was his companion as he stared at the vent. He counted down in his head, a small part of him putting forth a hopeful thought. Maybe White had forgotten about this vent. It was a stupid thing to think, but it comforted him.

As though on cue, the vent gave an ominous rattle. Brown let out a soft cry as it was flung open with a bang, White’s gloved hand emerging. The Imposter pulling himself from inside the cramped interior, straightening up in front of Brown.

He dusted himself off before his head turned towards the terrified man with terrifying ease. Brown pressed himself into the wall, the admin table between him and White. He was fully prepared to play ring around a rosy with him and his legs tensed.

“You know Brown, if you wanted to hide this wasn’t the best place to pick,” White commented casually as he began walking towards him. Brown scampered away, making sure to keep the table between himself and White as he circled it. His eyes stayed locked on the Imposter as White came to a stop, seeming to realize what his game was.

“Brown, I appreciate the fact that you’re working up my appetite for you, but you really should stop. For your own sake,” White said, amusement in his voice as he circled the table after Brown, his pace not picking up in the slightest.

“I’ve just had a bit of an adrenaline rush,” he admitted as Brown continued to enforce a six feet apart policy between them. “I was sure Purple was about to leave me high and dry with Yellow’s body and no alibi. Needless to say, I was partially prepared for an all-inclusive tour of space.”

If there had been any justice in the world, that would have been exactly what happened. But here they were…

Brown frantically darting about the table as White stalked him with a malicious ease. His eyes darted towards the door, staring at the unyielding blue grey surface. Maybe this time it would open, said the last sad vestige of denial inside of him. His plea was met was disappointment as the doors did not budge.

His attention was so stolen by the closed door, he failed to see the tendril behind him. It had slithered around the table like a snake. Before Brown knew what was happing it had struck, wrapping itself about his legs, sending him plunging into the ground. He shrieked, kicking at it wildly as it wound around him easily, binding his legs together with a powerful tug.

“The last thing you want to do Brown, is wind me up more.”

Brown frantically tried to escape, gloved hands scrabbling at the tentacles, but his efforts were ignored. The tendril began to pull him backwards, the Imposter reeling him in with all the ease of a fisherman whose snagged a minnow on the end of his line.

“Brown, Brown, Brown, you’re so twitchy. You need to relax a little,” White advised as he reached down, catching hold of the flailing Brown’s shoulder. Brown’s hands left the tentacles which bond him tightly, fastening around White’s hand as he tried to rip it off of him.

Despite his efforts, Brown found there was nothing he could do. White’s grip was like iron and with ease he dragged him upwards, shoving him up against the admin wall. White gloved hands firmly taking his shoulders as that dreadful movement began to once more become visible inside of White’s suit. The writhing inside the confines of the suit looked more hectic now – more eager.

“Leave me alone…”

Brown begged, even though his heart was not in it. The Imposter wasn’t going to leave him alone, not now.

“Oh but Brown, I’ve left you alone for so long now,” White’s hand pressed firmly against his cheek and though he couldn’t see the Imposters eyes, he was sure they were racking up and down his form with ill intent.

“I’m so eager to see what your little body has to offer me.” 

Brown whimpered as White’s fingers slid underneath his chin, tinted visor leaning forward.

“Get off!” Brown tried to kick, but his legs were still bound. He struck out with his hands, fists slamming against the Imposter’s chest. White didn’t even flinch at his blows, letting out a small chuckle. “You’re making this harder th **an** **it needs to be,”** White said, his voice once more twisting and warping. It was as feral as Brown remembered it, but the rumble of unbridled delight in it left Brown feeling weak.

**“You want this Brown,”** White assured him as his left hand reaching up and touching the seal of his own helmet. He dug his fingers in, ripping it off with a hiss. Blond hair tumbled forth from it, the wavy mass shadowing his face.

Then he looked up and Brown let out a choked scream as he stared where White’s eyes normally were. Dark holes were stark against the man’s face, though no blood was leaking from them. In the pits were a humans eyes should have been, he could see nothing but squirming flesh, twisting and shaping.

White paused, his empty eyes narrowing before a look of understanding crossed his face **. “Oh right, the eyes.”** He let out a laugh, shaking his head as he said with a shrug. **“My form… deteriorated slightly. That much sus is a lot for one Imposter to handle and you humans have a lot of small details to pay attention to.”**

Brown stared at him, as he leaned closer in. **“Do you want me to have eyes? Does that matter to you Brown?”** Brown couldn’t stop his head from frantically nodding, his words paralyzed from the horrific imagery that was burning itself into his fragile mind.

**“Very well.”** White blinked, closing his eyelids over the abyss. When he reopened them, it was not those familiar green eyes that stared back at him. Swirling with what almost looked like white fog, White stared down at him with slitted pupils.

**“Does this make you happy Brown?”**

It did not, but Brown was afraid to say that. Instead, he weakly muttered out. “White eyes… a bit on the nose don’t you think?” White laughed at this, a grin showing off pearly white teeth splitting up his fake face.

**“Your fun Brown,”** White said as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Brown’s trembling throat. His tongue slid up the shivering flesh as White continued to speak, the voice coming from much lower down.

**“We’re going to go slow Brown, that way you won’t break… immediately.”** Brown felt himself clench, but before he could say anything White’s faux mouth found his own. It was as he remembered it. Soft, malleable, yet now it seemed oddly warm. As though a fire was boiling away somewhere in the Imposter’s body, heating him from the inside.

White’s impersonation of a tongue slide inside his mouth in an all too familiar way, lazily exploring deep into his mouth as he felt White’s hands pulling his oxygen pack free. Brown hands jerked by his side, caught between wanting to push the creature off and just wanting to hold still.

It was fine, kissing didn’t hurt, he thought as he closed his eyes. He felt the oxygen pack drop from his back, slamming into the floor. Hands hastily transferred to his zipper. They were clumsier that Brown remembered. White was clearly excited about stripping off the only protection Brown had left.

His motions became rougher as he ripped Brown’s suit forward, forcing it off of his arms. The tentacles binding his legs unwound, as White caught him by the waist, lips still locked in place. He lifted him, discarding Brown’s suit behind them. He was slammed back against the wall, White’s hands fastening about his waist, fingers splaying out to rub Brown’s tensed ass.

**“Relaxxxx.”**

Brown felt the hot breath on his stomach and instinctually he knew that White’s second mouth must have been visible. This detail was just a side note in his strained mind, his attention focused on White’s hands. They had traveled up his back and as the dragged upwards they somehow felt sharper. Brown shivered as the claws ghosted over his skin. He could feel the angry red scratches they were causing, but White didn’t press down too hard. It seemed he was more intent on teasing Brown with the threat of pain, than actually delivering on it.

All the while, White’s kiss continued. That fake tongue of his wound its way deeper down, caressing the insides of Brown’s throat as it went. Teeth, now sharper than they were before nicked at Brown’s chapped lips, causing small smears of hot blood to blossom out.

White’s right hand traced across his front, claws lazily dragging. Brown felt it tenderly move across his belly, before dropping lower. He flinched when the hand fastened around his limp member.

With a careful motion, White took hold of it and Brown gasped into the others mouth as he felt the hand gently working his shaft. White rubbed, his movements careful as he played with Brown’s dick, forcing it to harden.

His tongue slide from between Brown’s trembling lips and Brown gasped in air. White leaned back, working his cock and against his better judgement Brown looked down. White’s hand was sharp and angular, his fingers spears. Brown’s heart nearly stopped as he watched the vicious looking thing massage his dick.

**“Feels nice doesn’t it?”**

White leaned in and as he did, Brown found his eyes stolen by the mouth that split the man in two. He seemed appropriate he look at it, it was after all the mouth that seemed to be doing most of the talking. Brown bit his lip, searching for words. His head felt oddly empty of them though. Speaking was like walking through a minefield and the last thing he wanted to do was set off the creature whose hands was firmly clasped around his tender member.

**“I think I know what would make it even better though...”**

White leaned forward, and Brown had no idea what he was doing until it was already happening. White’s hand released his penis as a thick, slick tongue emerged from the mouth on his middle. It wrapped about Brown’s dick, pulling it into the gapping mouth split across White’s belly. Brown gave an alarmed yelp, even as the tongues warmth caused his dick to pulse with a wave of undeniable sensation.

**“Careful Brown,”** White instructed in a warning voice. **“I’ll be the first to admit, I’m know to bite on occasion.”** He laughed at his own joke as Brown went rigid, his knees trembling. He was biting his lower lip so hard that he could feel blood welling up from where his teeth were digging in, but his attention was solely focused below him as he watched that massive mouth begin its work.

He could feel the teeth grazing his dick, which felt shockingly small inside the gapping maw. The tongue that wrapped about it was protecting it from any real damage, and with every second it worked its way back and forth he felt the growing need to cum rising up inside of him.

“Ahhh!” He gasped, as the tongue squeezed much like a tentacle about his penis, forcing a burst of pleasure through the throbbing member.

**“There you go,”** encouraged White and Brown felt his hands once more running down his back. The came to rest on his ass cheek, claws tensing in a slightly threatening manner. Then White squeezed hard, continuing to work Brown’s dick with the mouth on his chest. Brown felt the stabbing pain of claws cutting into him and forcing another squeal from the pinned man’s throat.

**“Oh you are getting close aren’t you?”** White teased as Brown felt his hand slip into his sweaty crack. To Brown’s relief, as the fingers found his hole he felt the claws blunt. White seemed to be making a conscious effort not to ‘break him’ as he rubbed digits over Brown’s tight asshole.

**“Brown, baby, level with me. Have you been used before?”** Without warning, White shoved a finger into Brown’s ass, causing the man to let out a shriek of pain as it forced its way into the tight hole. Brown felt the tiny entrance ache at the intrusion, the ring of muscles unsure what to do with the object that had been forced past it.

**“Because it feels like that’s a virgin entrance,”** White crooned as Brown gasped for air. **“Oh what are we going to do with that…”**

“White be gentle,” Brown gasped, having horrible flashes of Lime’s twisted face in his mind. The writhing tentacles forcing him further and further open before he began to split. “Please… please…” He grasped at his head, letting out another gasp of ecstasy as his swollen dick was once more pumped by the Imposters tongue. Tears were rolling down his face.

**“Oh look at that, you’ve found your voice again,”** White said with a laugh as he forced his thumb in deep, causing Brown to mewl out a protest. **“You’ve been so quiet Brown I was getting worried.”**

“White _please_!”

Brown reached forward, wrapping his arms around the Imposter’s neck. His legs were tensing so bad he wondered if he was going to strain a muscle in his panic. “Don’t… don’t do to me what you did to Lime. Please White.”

His own words sickened him, but this was a matter of fucking survival. If White filled him the way he’d filled up Lime – Brown knew his body wouldn’t be able to handle it, no matter how slow the Imposter took it.

**“Oh Brown, I wouldn’t,”** White promised, even as he continued to work his thumb in and out of Brown’s ass. **“And more than that, I can’t. Do you see any wires around here?”**

“That’s not what I meant…” Brown began, but he was cut off as White shushed him, his free hand coming to rest on the back of Brown’s head. The Imposter gently stroked his head.

**“Brown, dear scared broken little Brown. I know what you’re asking, and I’ll make you a promise. I won’t kill you Brown.”**

Brown almost relaxed… but then White spoke again. “ **But I’ve got expectations Brown and the sooner I start training you to handle it, the better it will be for both of us.”**

“White…” Brown sobbed as he pushed away from the Imposter, hands reaching for the hand that was still violating him from behind. Tentacles sprung from the Imposter’s body, wrapping themselves around Brown’s limbs and holding him prone.

**“Oh stop struggling, I’ve barely even done anything yet,”** White chastised as he slid his thumb out from inside of Brown. **“But I suppose I could lube you up a little. Would you like that Brown?”**

Brown did not respond and White let out a sigh. **“I’ll take that as a no then.”** With a forceful push, White shoved another finger into Brown’s dry hole. Brown let out a cry of agony as White worked the fingers in a hard, purposeful manner.

“I hurts…” Brown sobbed, even as his dick gave a throb of pleasure, somewhat distracting him.

**“I’ll ask you again, do you want me to lube up that little entrance? I can keep using it raw, but I’m getting the feeling you don’t like that,”** White said, leaning in so his mouth rested up against Brown’s ear. **“Tell me what you want Brown.”** Brown could hear the smirk that White had plastered across his face. It was clear that Brown that White was giving him a choice. Play his game or suffer.

“Lube… I want… I want lube, please…” Brown gulped in frantic breaths of air. Even though the fingers were making his ass ache, his attention was still somewhat stolen by his dick. He was on the verge of cumming and even as he felt the first thick tentacle slithering behind him in a threatening fashion, he could feel his body preparing for the orgasm. His dick suddenly gave an ache he wasn’t used to as he felt an odd sensation.

**“You have to wait Brown,”** White said and Brown let out a cry as he felt a tiny tentacle press down hard, sliding down into his urethra. It slid deeper and deeper, its stinging progress making its way deep inside of his stiff dick. White let out a low laugh as Brown thrashed against the wall. **“You get to cum when you’ve earned it**.” He said, voice firm.

“White!!”

But White was clearly not interested in what he had to say. The hand that had rested in Brown’s hair left it, talon like fingers clutching over the man’s mouth. White leaned in, bending slightly as his tongue slithered out, pressing against Brown’s right nipple.

Meanwhile, the tentacle that had slowly been winding around him found its mark. It prodded at first at Brown’s hole, before with a loving squirm it dipped its head inside. It’s slick body did indeed lube the raw insides of Brown, but it offered him little relief as it slithered up inside of him. His asshole was tensed up, the ring of muscles fighting to keep White’s unrelenting force from violating him.

**“I know you’re fighting me Brown,”** White said, hand still firmly clasped over his mouth. **“I’m gonna need you to relax.”** White bit at Browns nipple, before withdrawing his head. Brown felt his hands catch his chin, the Imposter forcing his gaze up.

Brown stared at the head that was slowly unwinding into strips of flesh and sharp teeth. White’s features were slowly unraveling, and he almost looked like some sort of surreal painting in his current state. “ **How’s it feeling Brown, think you can take more?”** He asked, a small and wicked smile sneaking up the side of his face. Brown tried to speak, but White’s hand remained clasped over his mouth. Frantically, Brown shook his head.

**“Oh don’t be like that,”** White said with a chuckle that twisted Brown’s stomach into knots. **“Let’s do another.”** Brown began to beg, his words muffled and lost.

**“Don’t waste your breath sweetheart,”** White said that gleeful smile still plastered across his face. **“Just relax. Your tensing is only making it hurt.”** Brown let out a sob of protest as the smaller tentacle twisted inside of his painfully erect dick, teasing the insides of his cock. The tongue hadn’t stopped working it, even though the hole for his release was blocked off.

Brown stared at him, once more trying to speak through the hand. White sighed, before shrugging and allowing Brown to speak again. **“If you’re just going to beg…”**

“No!” Brown shook his head. They were well past that point and he knew it. He gathered himself, even as his body squirmed in discomfort, thinking through his words. “How many… how many are you going to make me take before you let me cum?” Brown asked, his voice raspy.

The pain in his dick from overstimulation was growing blindly and even though his ass begged for relief, it was his genitals that Brown’s mind had fixed on. He had to cum, White couldn’t just keep teasing him like this.

White tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on what was left of his face. **“A fair question I suppose.”** He pursed his lips, the meaty tendrils at the top of his head writhing and weaving as they split White’s face further and further apart. **“Five full sized ones, then I’ll let you.”**

Brown choked, staring at White in disbelief. “I… I can’t. I physically can’t!”

**“Bet you’re wrong.”** White teased as Brown felt another tentacle sliding down his back. The speed of the thing quickened, reaching Brown’s taut ass in seconds. Brown struggled as it began to push its way in, only stopping when he felt a tooth nick against his overly stimulated penis.

**“What did I say about wiggling,”** White said, shaking his head in disapproval and Brown stilled best he could.

“It’s so big…” He moaned to himself as the massive thing struggled up inside of him. He felt his asshole spreading wider than it had ever been before as the tentacle eagerly reached up inside of him, his legs trembling as it began to roughly move back and forth.

**“Brown, your face,”** White practically giggled **. “It’s priceless.”** Brown gulped in air as he shut his eyes. He felt a hand on his chin, sharp claws digging into it as the fingers wrapped about it. **“Hey now, none of that. You look at me while I’m fucking you Brown.”** Brown opened his eyes, staring into those unmerciful white eyes. As he did, he felt yet another tentacle making its way across his back.

**“I think my favorite part,”** White said as the third tentacle pressed against Brown’s hole, causing a shriek to tear out of his lungs as he felt it sliding inside. **“Is when I first press it in. Your ass gives this little twitch and it tries very hard to keep me out.”** Brown felt the Imposter beginning to press down, the tight ring of muscles giving an aching and overwhelming pain as White brute forced the thing inside. **“But eventually I get in, and you’re lovely and tight inside.”**

Brown screamed, his legs giving out, only to be held in place by White’s all enveloping tentacles. **“I can tell that’s your favorite part to.”** White whispered as he leaned in, pressing his mouth against Brown’s throat again.

Brown’s ass burned as White’s tentacles worked inside of the tight area. They caressed the skin, each of them fighting one another to go deeper and deeper inside of Brown. White let out a loving sigh that vibrated against Brown’s throat as two more tentacles slid forward. Brown began to fight, even as he felt teeth cutting into his painfully swollen dick.

“NO…” He shrieked, but he was cut off by lips muting his words. White pressed down, forcing a tongue down his throat, effectively blocking of his scream as the Imposters merciless tentacles pushed down against his hole. He felt the skin stretch as they pushed in, the retreated in a teasing gesture. White’s hands slid down his body, gripping his ass cheeks and forcing them further open as one of the tentacles slid the very tip into the taut edge.

White bit his lip hard as Brown shrieked against his fleshy gag, feeling the fourth tentacle forced its way inside as White squeezed his ass to the point he was sure there would be bruises. As the fourth tentacle slid down Brown felt his whole-body spasm as it frantically tried to push the intruding force out. Much to his dismay, he was no match for the Imposter who maliciously pushed hard into him forcing the long strands of flesh further up into his ass.

He struggled as White withdrew his lips, allowing Brown to scream. **“Hush, hush.”** White said, unable to contain his laughter. **“One more Brown, one more and you can cum.”** Brown shook his head, tears streaming from his eyes.

“White stop!” He screamed as he felt lips press against his sweaty shoulder.

**“One more.”** White insisted and as he did, Brown felt the final tentacle make its assault. He nearly passed out as it shoved into him. The pain was absolutely searing, his asshole feeling so tight that he was amazed he didn’t feel it tear out as the thick, twitching thing dove into his depths. Despite this, somehow he managed to remain conscious as it bloodied his insides.

It was as it did that he felt it. The pressure on his stomach as his skin bulged outwards. He stared down at his belly, his mind registering that the lower portion of it was being pushed outwards. The tentacles were so deep inside, that they were pressing up against his skin he realized, tears of pain and terror flowing freely down his face.

**“There we go, good boy!”** White sounded ecstatic as he lowered a hand and pressed it down against Brown’s belly. Brown screamed, his body burning as White rubbed at his tentacles through the layer of Brown’s skin and organs. **“Look at it all, and you didn’t even tear.”**

Brown considered puking, but he realized he didn’t have it in him as he hung their prone. The feeling of the tentacle being pulled from his urethra was enough to bring him back though and he felt seed explode out from his dick. He gasped, the relief of it almost enough to distract him from the enormous width his ass was being forced to take. Almost.

As seed dripped down his trembling legs, staining the floor White’s chest mouth spat some out from its mouth. To his astonishment, he began to feel the tentacles beginning to slide from his ass, the pressure inside of him slowly winding down.

They left, one at a time, slipping down his legs as White steadied his shaking body. **“Brown, you did such a good job!”** He said, leaning in and kissing the man’s ear. Brown whimpered, allowing his shaking body to rest against White’s as the man ran fingers through his hair. White’s touches were once more deceptively soft as he cradled Brown, rubbing the man’s heaving back. **“There we go, last one out.”** White purred as Brown felt his gaping hole vacated.

“Are you done?” Brown asked, his voice shaking as the question tumbled out as a soft mutter. White held him closer, and once again Brown felt himself lulled into a false sense of security.

**“Almost.”**

Brown looked up towards White’s face, wondering if his features could get any paler than they already were. “Almost…?” He whispered, terror twisting up his insides as he searched the Imposters face for a clue of what he was implying.

White smiled at him, twisting a lock of his sweaty hair around his clawed finger. **“I’ve got something very special that I want to share with you. Undoubtedly Cyan’s getting the same treatment as we speak.”**

Brown heard a sound, close to what he’d heard before yet at the same time different. It was the slick sound of something moving and at first, he was sure White was simply going to violate him again with more tentacles.

But then his eyes caught what was slithering out from White’s body and he felt his head tilt in confusion.

He had been right about it being a tentacle, but it looked bizarre. It had more of a shape than the ones he’d seen previously. For one, it was thick, and he could see movement within it as though some liquid bubbled just below the surface. Along with that, it held an obvious shape. While most of the Imposter’s appendages seemed fluid, this was obvious stiffer and less malleable.

The end had a fat tip on it, that curved ever so slightly. The head seemed shaper, as though it was designed for penetration, while the body of it featured holes dotting down its length. It looked like almost like the skeleton of a cactus, though there was nothing but blackness beyond the gaping holes.

The oddest part of it though, was the coloration of it. Unlike the bloody red wound that seemed to color most of White’s natural form, this thing seemed to almost be a sickly blue. It reminded him a bit ice he thought as it wound about, it’s colors seeming almost metallic as it glittered under the lights.

Something about the tip seemed sus, but Brown couldn’t quite say what it was. What he did know though, was his tortured brain was running through the options as he stared at it. There was a limited number of things it could be he reasoned. Was this White’s version of genitalia?

“What is that?” He asked, eyeing the ominous looking thing with trepidation. White glanced at it, a mischievous smile on his mangled face. **“Oh this… just a tentacle.”**

Brown stared at him in disbelief, wondering if White really expected him to believe that. “It’s how you breed isn’t it?”

White stared at him and despite the agony, the torment and the untold amount of horrors to come, Brown got a little bit of satisfaction from the surprised look on the Imposters face. **“Brown, you really are too smart for your own good,”** he said, sounding a little bit miffed. As though Brown had guessed the answer to some big joke he was planning to play.

**“Listen Brown,”** He said finally. **“I’m going to give you a choice can either put this up that lovely little ass of yours…”**

Brown was already shaking his head as White spoke. Could an Imposter impregnate a human? He had no idea, and though it didn’t seem likely Brown didn’t want to risk it.

**“…or I can put it down your throat.”**

White finished and Brown did not like the fact that he seemed to be fighting back laughter. Brown took in a sharp rush of air, thinking fast. “I…” He stared at the tentacle as his ass gave a warning ache. How did Imposters reproduce? Did they lay eggs? He couldn’t remember if this had ever been covered.“I…”

**“Pick carefully.”** White said, his voice airing on that of mystery.

“What can it do?” Brown asked and he saw a frown creep up White’s features.

**“You’re so good at guessing Brown, why don’t you see what you come up with?”** His voice was accusing, as though Brown had really wronged him by correctly guessing what the intimidating tentacle was.

Brown made his choice. “Put it in my mouth.” He said, feeling horribly uneasy.

White tilted his head and leaned in closer. **“Are you sure?”**

“Yes…” Brown said, not feeling sure in the least. This worries were exacerbated as he saw White’s eyes glint with something dark.

**“If you insist.”** He said and before Brown could think about the choice he just made, the thing darted forward. It slid between Brown’s lips and he braced himself, realizing just how hard it is.

The texture felt strange. It was harder than White’s tentacles and as it worked its way in and out of Brown’s mouth. He obediently sucked it, even as he felt a warning in the back of his head that this would not end well.

**“Run your tongue inside the holes,”** encouraged White and Brown noted that an odd shudder overtook his body. **“It feels ever so nice for me**.” Whatever he was doing to the Imposter, it was having the biggest effect that Brown had yet seen. White’s form seemed to have sagged slightly, apparently unable to fully keep it together.

Brown carefully dragged his tongue along the tentacle, sliding it along the edges of one of the holes. He flinched as something pricked him from within the depths. He withdrew his tongue, feeling blood on the tip of it as he wondered what exactly it was he’d just felt.

**“Yes, just like that,”** purred White. **“But deeper Brown.”** Brown meekly obeyed, opening his mouth wider and pressing the tentacle down nestle to into the deep recesses of his throat. He choked slightly as the thing began to move on its own, wondering just how far down White meant to put it.

**“Just a bit deeper…”** White said. He suddenly twitched to life, his hands roughly pinning Brown’s small frame back to the wall as the tentacle made a dive downwards. The brutal thing pressed down into Brown’s esophagus, and he began to choke in earnest as White let out a moan. **“Oh, perfect, right there.”** He said, the pitch of his voice seeming to waver. His body shuddered, his head unwinding further as he seemed to lose some control of his form.

Brown felt the tentacle beginning to pulse.

The blinding white pain he felt when the thing dug itself into the side of his throat was enough to convince Brown he was going to die. The first hook speared out from the end, impaling the fleshy wall of Brown’s throat. Then came the others.

The searing pain of a million other small hooks exploding down his throat was enough to seal the thought that death was nigh. White shuddered and seemed to collapse into him, letting out soft mewls that seemed quite unlike him. Brown had little time to focus on them though as his vision began to flash.

Blood poured down his throat from the lacerations inside of it and every second the tentacle remained was agony. He wondered what would happen first, if he would drown on his own blood or if he would get to experience the release of unconsciousness first. As he felt the burning liquid pumping through the hook though, Brown’s body made its choice.

As his vision flashed, Brown wondered if he would be waking up from this. Even if he did, as he felt the agony of needles tearing and ripping at his throat, he realized he would not wake up the same. Maybe dead was better, he thought as he felt an overwhelming darkness push him downwards. Maybe dead was better.

**********************

Brown was unconscious long before White had finished with him. It was hard for the Imposter to think straight as his breeding tentacle injected its load direction into Brown’s throat. With one last shudder though, he’d finished, regaining his balance best he could as the tentacle slipped out from Brown’s mouth.

As Brown slumped forward, White hastily caught him in his arms, preventing the man’s body from collapsing to the ground. He pressed a thumb against his neck and felt a swell of relief. He really hadn’t meant to get so rough, and he’d been worried he’d killed Brown with his actions.

Yet as he pressed his finger down against the sweaty flesh, he could feel the weak thump of blood. Of course, he thought as he quickly gathered the man up and placed him on his shoulders, he’d have to be careful how he left him to rest. He didn’t want the blood in the man’s throat pooling in his lungs. White had meant it when he’d told Brown he didn’t want to kill him.

**“Well, I did warn you to pick carefully,”** White said, shaking his head as he cradled the limp body to him. **“It’s okay though, because next time you’ll know better.”** White turned, intent on going to MedBay. To his surprise, his progress was blocked. Purple leaned against the doorway, helmet off and eyes staring intently at Brown’s blood-stained mouth.

**“Fuck White, did you stick your breeding tentacle down his throat?”** He asked, almost sounding impressed. **“That’s sadistic, even for you.”**

White gave a shrug of his shoulders as he said with a smile. **“I did, yes. But in my defense, he did ask me to.”**

Purple did not look convinced but didn’t argue with him. **“You’re taking him to MedBay then?”** White nodded, walking forward as he noted Cyan’s absence.

**“And where is your little friend?”** He asked as he made his way quickly across the cafeteria.

**“Sleeping,”** Purple said. **“He needs it, and once you’re finished putting away your toy White, we need to go down to bunks as well.”**

White nodded his head, feeling a wave of relief hit him. **“Right, right, the mission. I almost forgot.”**

**“You would.”** Purple did not sound impressed as he shook his head. White ignored him, feeling the swelling relief still overpowering him.

**“Hey now, we won,”** He said, glancing over at Purple. **“And we managed to do it without you losing your little pet. That has to make you a bit happy.”**

Purple seemed to consider his words for a second, before a smile split across his middle. **“I suppose you have a point,”** He said, clapping White’s shoulders in a friendly fashion. **“Good job to the two of us. Mostly to me though, because what the hell even was that at the end White.”**

White gave a helpless shrug. **“Guess I shouldn’t have eaten Lime, think I picked up some of his bad habits.”** Purple let out a snort of laughter as the two of them walked together towards the MedBay, no longer needing to hide their more monstrous features as they walked through silent and bloodstained halls.

They had won, it was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brown's gonna be suffering from the worlds worst sore throat when he wakes up, but hey, at least he's still alive... tune in next week for the finale of this absolute dead dove of a fic.


	12. And So It Goes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another day on the Skeld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we come to the end.   
> I'd like to thank everyone whose joined us along the way, you guys had some major sus throughout and I appreciate it the hell out of it. I've gotten some really sweet comments and it's been hella fun.

Cyan’s spoon clinked against the bottom of his bowl as he scooped the lukewarm protein mush into his mouth. It tasted bland in his mouth and he rolled it about, wishing that there was something to put on it. Sugar maybe? He missed sugar, he wondered when he could get some again.

He was in the cafeteria, sitting next to the table that was closest to the window. The stars seemed oddly dull today. Cyan knew this was impossible, but that did not change what he saw. He squinted at them, abandoning his spoon in his bowl. He wasn’t hungry anyways he decided as he stared out at the night sky.

It bothered him, that view. Maybe it was because the ship was so was so empty now — empty and quiet and devoid of life. In the past, Cyan could have sat in this exact spot and heard the sound of people moving all about him.

He reached up and brushed hair from his face, taking in a lungful of air. It was oddly… stale. He knew that O2 was working just fine, but the air tasted wrong now. He couldn’t fully put into words what was wrong with it — he just knew there was _something_.

It would have been nice to have his helmet. There was an air filtration system in it. In a way, the filter itself added an odd aftertaste to it, but he’d gotten used to that. Having his helmet off was just weird.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Purple had told him he shouldn’t wear it, so Cyan wasn’t wearing it. Purple liked being able to see his face, and who was Cyan to deny him that? It was flattering, he could say that beyond a doubt. He smiled slightly at the thought.

As he did his eyes drifted over the cluttering about him and his smile faded slightly. The mess left behind by his crewmates was still visible, even if they were not. Abandoned cutlery, napkins that hadn’t been thrown out. In a corner of the room, his memorial plates still stood, though now there were more. Red, Blue, Yellow and Black each had their own plate.

His own little graveyard confined to a table. He supposed he didn’t know for sure if Black was dead. Purple didn’t seem fully convinced of it either, and Cyan could tell that seeing Black’s plate had bothered him.

Still, Purple had helped him draw up the plates, so he couldn’t dislike it _that_ much. He said it was good for Cyan to grieve — natural.

He really was just so… Cyan searched for the word, shuffling through the first few his mind provided. _Smug, arrogant, scary…._ Nice. Purple was nice.

Cyan sighed, staring at the mess about him with an odd sense of longing. In truth the ship felt lonely. As though all life within it had been snuffed out. This wasn’t true though, Cyan knew for sure that there were at least three others on board this ship with him. Sure, two of them weren’t human, but they still counted.

He reached his spoon down into his bowl again, deciding to give eating another try.

With a grimace he stuck the food into his mouth, only to wrinkle his nose in dislike. God, the protein mush really was terrible, he thought as he pushed it away from him. It tasted odd, almost like ash in his mouth. Cyan put his spoon down and pushed the bowl away, deciding he may as well not bother. He could eat later. The Skeld’s food supply was running a little low, but he was _sure_ there had to be something better than this available to eat.

As he sat there, the creaking of a vent caught his attention. It came from a corner behind him and he flinched slightly at the noise. He didn’t bother to look up, quickly occupying himself with a bunched-up ball of tinfoil that had been left on one of the tables.

He messed with it, making a point to not look in the direction of the vent. Purple was busy in Navigation. He’d been so for several days now, which meant it was not him who had just vented into cafeteria. Despite his efforts of trying to look occupied, he heard movement beside him as someone sat down.

He carefully looked up, unsurprised to see that White had joined him.

“Hello, Cyan.”

The man’s voice was as friendly as it ever was. Maybe even more friendly now thought Cyan as he felt as his insides twist. White had been sounding real chipper ever since he and Purple had completed their mission.

It bothered Cyan to see White so happy. Now that he knew the true nature of the man, he kicked himself for not seeing it before. Of course, if what Purple said was true, White’s ability to hide his true nature had decreased significantly after he’d eaten Lime. Cyan had questions about this, but he hadn’t voiced them. If he knew one thing about Purple, it was that he didn’t like it when Cyan asked too many questions.

Though technically the Imposter wasn’t a threat, White’s presence always made Cyan feel as though he was in danger. Purple had assured him White wasn’t going to lay a hand on him, unless of course Purple told him he could. But Purple hadn’t give him permission, at least not to Cyan’s knowledge, so he as far as he knew he was safe.

“Hey White,” Cyan said very quietly, forcing himself to smile stiffly at White. White’s helmet was off his eyes, now white and almost foggy, looking about the cafeteria in a searching fashion. As soon as Cyan spoke, though, they focused on him with gleaming intent and he leaned forward slight, a small frown on his face.

“Cyan, have you seen Brown?”

Cyan shook his head, feeling a flair of anger at the name. Brown — the person who’d known what was going on this entire time, but couldn’t be bothered to tell anyone. Of course, Cyan supposed it was just cruel to be angry with him now that he was in the tender care of White. Still, Cyan blamed him for most of this. Blamed him for keeping his mouth shut.

It was Brown’s fault...

“I haven’t,” he said honestly, looking over towards White as he asked with a laugh that rang colder by the day. “Is he hiding again?”

White nodded his head, letting out a slightly demented sounding laugh.

“Oh yes, he’s quite fond of hide and seek,” he tilted his head and added, “You know, I find he’s getting better at it, too. Harder to find when he’s not whimpering to himself.”

The Imposter cocked his head to the side. “I sometimes wonder if he misses being able to talk. I’d ask him but… you know,” White gave a shrug, a smirk playing about his lips.

Cyan still didn’t know what White had done to Brown. He’d been tempted to ask Purple, but the scarring about the other man’s mouth made him nervous to broach the subject. It was brutal and deep, tears criss-crossing up Brown’s lips.

Whatever White had done, when Cyan had woken up from his encounter with Purple, Brown had still been out cold and in MedBay.

He’d woke up in about a day and a half, but it seemed his throat had been so badly damaged that it he was no longer able to speak.

Whether it was permanent, or only a temporary thing, Cyan was secretly glad Brown was mute. It meant he didn’t have to hear the other man shriek whenever White decided he wanted some time with him. It was selfish, but if Cyan was painfully honest with himself, he was far, far past the point of caring. He’d had a rough trip, he reasoned with himself — he was allowed to be a little selfish.

“Well, I suppose you’re off to look for him then?” Cyan asked, eager to get White away from him. It was hard to be anywhere near the man now that he knew his true character. Now that he knew what _he’d_ done to all of Cyan’s crewmates.

_And Purple too_ , whispered a voice in his head that Cyan viciously muted. He didn’t have time for a voice like that, he had other things to do.

“In a second,” White said, turning fully to Cyan and offering him a friendly smile. “First though, I must ask that you tell Purple that I’ve pretty much wrapped up the last-minute chores. He asked me to do a bit of tidying up about. Make it look like the crew of this ship won,” White laughed at this, before adding. “No offense, Cyan. You did your… best?”

“I liked you better when I didn’t know you were a sadist,” Cyan said honestly and White winked at him.

“Ah, well, we all get quirks when we spend too long in space. You’ll get some as well, hanging on Purple the way you do.”

Cyan narrowed his eyes and White held up his hands in mock defense. The mouth on his chest had a smirk visible on it. Cyan tried not to look.

“Right, right, I get the picture. I’m not wanted.”

He rose from the seat and turned around, his pathway taking him towards the hallway that led to MedBay. He waved his hand as he went, calling back to Cyan. “I’ll see you later, Cyan. I’m off for a game of tag with Brown.”

Cyan watched him go, shaking his head. How had he never seen was an absolute piece of shit White was?

_Not like my Purple_ , he hastily assured himself as his mind tried to whisper malicious little words to him. They were just coworkers — Purple wasn’t like that at all. Sure, he could be a tad more temperamental that Cyan had previously realized, but he was no monster. Not like White, the bastard.

Cyan hastily finished his bowl. He left it where it was as he stood up. Purple kept saying they’d have to clean the cafeteria at some point. It was part of his plans, and he couldn’t have it in this condition when he and Cyan arrived at their port. He was planning on making it look like the crew had won.

He’d done this before, apparently.

That was something he hadn’t known about Purple — just how much the man schemed. _Planned_ , he quickly corrected himself mentally as he began to walk. Purple didn’t scheme, he planned. Schemed made it sound like Purple was some sort of _bad guy_.

Cyan made his way across the room, heading off towards the hallway that would lead him through Weapons. He didn’t like going through there, the image of Red’s bloody corpse still haunting him. And it was also the place where he and Purple had… come to an understanding.

As he walked through the room, he felt a shiver up his spine. It almost felt as though eyes bore into the back of his skull, but he ignored the feeling, walking quickly towards his destination. These halls were haunted by bad memories.

And for what prodded a tired yet angry voice in the back of his head, a voice he was slowly learning to tune out. To destroy the cargo? What had it been, anyway? Cyan had seen it, and he still didn’t know what he’d been looking at.

Cyan had watched the Imposters obliterate it — had helped them, actually. Purple had asked him to help move the boxes, even though it was abundantly clear that neither he nor White actually needed the help. Cyan got the feeling that Purple wasn’t a fan of White’s company, which had been the real reason he’d been invited along.

The boxes had not lessened in weight, so watching White heave one up onto his shoulders was bizarre to say the least. His skinny body had swayed as he’d balanced the box before walking up the stairs.

They’d gathered them in the cafeteria, the heavy boxes resting innocently the tan floor. They’d all been there, even Brown. Cyan had spotted him peering in from the admin hallway, his dull eyes holding just a spark of fragile curiosity.

Since neither of the Imposters knew the code that kept the boxes locked, they’d resorted to ripping the things open, a process that had taken a good half day. It seemed the boxes had been specifically designed to keep unwanted creatures at bay, the metal strong and resilient.

It had been alarming when they’d managed to pull the first one open. There was a waft of cold air that struck Cyan in the face, making him shiver. Purple, who’d been the one who’d managed to wedge the crate open a crack, had let out an exhausted sigh.

“Just like Mira not to give the code to anyone onboard,” he’d grumbled as he and White finished prying open the lid.

What had been inside… confused Cyan. It confused him because he had no idea what it was he was looking at.

It had been set in black foam, no doubt to keep it safe for the journey. It was… a log of sorts? Was _that_ what he would have called it? It was twice the thickness of his head and longer than his arm. It was black, a flat uninteresting dull color.

He’d stared at it in abject confusion as the Imposters had exchanged looks.

“Right, let’s do this then,” White had said, cracking his knuckles.

This was the second time Cyan had gotten to see the breeding tentacles. Purple’s had woven upwards, twisting and turning as he stared at the black obelisk.

Cyan didn’t even get a chance to ask what he was doing before he’d stabbed the tentacle into the item. It had pulsed, injecting its contents into the black, almost stone looking thing.

That had been when things had gotten weird. It had begun to… melt? Crumble? Inside, flashes of color revealed themselves, things that Cyan would have said were… electronics? Not human electronics, though — there was nothing human about it as it had melted away into a puddle off goo. The wiring that Cyan was sure he’d seen, the circuit boards, seemed to have simply collapsed in with the rest of it.

That was it — that was the process. White and Purple opening a box and injecting the contents of it with their DNA. The shapes were all different, but the materials never changed. Black and flat until it was being destroyed. Like a geode, but not made from crystals.

Then, they’d shot them into space. Gathered up all the slush and thrown it out the airlock. Cyan hadn’t asked why. Purple had wanted whatever the hell was in those boxes gone, so he’d destroyed them. That was all Cyan needed to know.

There was a noise somewhere around him, and Cyan was jerked back to the present. He felt his arm tremble slightly as he walked through the hall, glancing about nervously.

It was funny — even though now Cyan knew for sure who the two Imposters are, he was always afraid when he walked about in the dark. It was stupid to be afraid though, because White wasn’t going to hurt him.

_But it’s not White you’re afraid of,_ his mind offered up quietly. He silenced it — of course it was White he was afraid of. Who else could possibly make him nervous?

The only other Imposter onboard this ship was Purple, and there was no reason to be afraid of Purple, because Purple loved him. Sure he was sometimes a force to be reckoned with, but he wasn’t dangerous. Cyan was sure of that, even as he felt his left arm give a painful ache.

Purple had gotten… frustrated with him the previous day. He’d learned a lot of what his role was going to be for Purple in the future, and it required Cyan to be a good liar. Purple had been working with him on that, but it seemed Cyan just hadn’t been convincing. So, Purple had twisted his arm a bit.

Literally.

Not out of anger, he’d assured Cyan. Pain was just a good teaching tool. He was right, apparently — Cyan’s lying had gotten significantly better after he’d done it.

Cyan forcefully silenced his thoughts as he walked passed O2. There was no need to be thinking about that, he thought as he rubbed his left arm. It would no doubt feel better in a couple of days — he needed to stop being such a big baby about everything.

Even as he thought this, he felt his footsteps slow slightly as he approached Navigation. His breath came a bit quicker. Because he was excited, he told himself. He hadn’t gotten to see Purple yet today. Though Purple had taken to sharing his bunk with him, Purple’s sleeping habits were far different from his own. More often than not, when Cyan woke up Purple would be gone.

As Cyan stepped into Nav, his eyes quickly found Purple. He sat in the seat, clawed sharp hands tapping across the display as he made adjustments to their coordinates. He seemed concentrated, and Cyan waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt him. Interrupting Purple when he was busy was always a bad idea. Purple had a tendency to get irritated if people bothered him, though he assured Cyan that he was far more lenient with him than with others.

Cyan didn’t feel like risking it though, so he stood there in silence as Purple pressed a couple more buttons. Purple was no longer wearing his helmet either. He long dark hair was now washed-looking, though the stubble about his chin remained. He’d kept his eyes purple. Cyan wasn’t sure if it was just an aesthetic choice or if it was something deeper, but he didn’t question it. He didn’t question lots of things — it was quite freeing, really.

It took the Imposter a good minute to realize Cyan was there, but after a couple more jabs at the illumined displays, Purple gave a sigh and turned around. A grin broke across his face as he caught sight of Cyan standing awkwardly behind him.

“Cyan, finally awake.” His voice was pleasant as he gestured to the seat beside him. His mouths smiled at Cyan in a friendly manner and Cyan did his best not to look at the second one — the gaping mouth that split across his lover’s middle.

It wasn’t polite to stare — Purple had been pretty clear about that previously. Cyan approached quickly, taking a seat down across from Purple. He felt tense and tripped over his words somewhat as he spoke.

“White told me to tell you that he’s done with the cleanup you asked him to do.”

“Really,” Purple said, a look of disbelief sneaking up his face. “Did he clean the cafeteria? Like I told him to do, three days ago?”

Cyan thought about the condition the cafeteria was in and gave a decisive shake of the head. “No, no he did not.”

Purple’s eyes narrowed. “Yep, that sounds about right. He’s such a damn slacker. Can’t be bothered to do shit now that we’ve gotten the ship under our control.”

He tapped at the blue display with such ferocity that Cyan wondered how it was he hadn’t managed to break it with his claws.

“Honestly, he just had to go and eat Lime! _Lime_ , of all people! And now I’m stuck with an Imposter who refuses to do jack shit other than skirtchase all day.” Purple let out a huff of irritation. “Almost makes me yearn for the real Lime… _almost._ ”

Cyan let out a strained laugh, flinching at the lack of authenticity to it. Purple wasn’t going to like that. Cyan’s predictions were correct as Purple turned, casing an annoyed glance his way.

“Oh, come on, we both knew Lime was annoying as sin. You don’t have to pretend to be sad that he’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Cyan quickly said, carefully restraining his shiver of fear. Of course he wasn’t sorry to see Lime made into a corpse — Lime was a fucking dumbass. Sure, it was a bit disturbing how it had happened, but that had been all White.

Purple eyed him, his eyes seeming to soften ever so slightly. “You’re tense, Cyan,” he finally said, tilting his head. “Is your arm feeling okay?” Cyan’s hand immediately went to his arm as the appendage gave a savage ache.

“It feels fine,” he lied.

Purple gave him a slightly exasperated smile.

“Well your lying’s getting better at least,” he said with a shake of his head. “Though you shouldn’t be lying to me, you know.” He leaned forward, eyeing Cyan’s face speculatively. “The dark circles under your eyes have grown worse too — Cy, have you been sleeping?”

“I’ve just been… having bad dreams,” Cyan confessed. It was the honest truth. He kept dreaming that everyone he’d known for the past year had been horribly killed while he stood by and did nothing to stop it. It didn’t help that when he woke up the dream did somewhat become his reality.

Purple stretched his arms over his head, his mouths yawning in unsion. He glanced back at the screen next to him, wrinkling his nose in annoyance before rising to his feet.

He closed the distance between him and Cyan, reaching a hand down.

“Come on, let’s walk together. I need to clear my head anyway.” Though his voice was inviting, Cyan knew his words were an order, and he took it as such.

Carefully he rose, Purple steadying him as he staggered. The man’s right hand reached out, touching his aching left arm and Cyan flinched. He wanted to pull it away, but he knew that Purple would find that irksome. Instead, he held still as Purple grasped it, flexing it upwards and making Cyan let out a slight cry.

“That hurts?” he asked. Cyan nodded his head and Purple allowed his arm to drop back down. “There must be a pulled muscle in there or something — we should probably end our walk in MedBay so we can treat it.”

Cyan hastily bobbed his head. “That sounds like a good plan,” he said, relieved that Purple was finished touching the limb. For all his qualities, Purple was not the most gentle man Cyan had ever met. They walked together out from nav, footsteps echoing around them as they made their way downwards. It seemed Purple had decided to take the long route to MedBay, and Cyan wasn’t about to question him on it.

As they walked, Purple bumped into his undamaged side.

“You need to relax Cyan,” Purple said with a shake of his head. “Honestly, with how you act sometimes, you’d think you were in danger of dropping dead at any second.”

Cyan let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s just a lot happened in a small amount of time,” he said, his mind actively cherry-picking his words. “With all of that upheaval, plus the… the new rules you want me to follow, it’s just been a bit stressful.”

Purple rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You’re ridiculous, Cyan,” the Imposter informed him. “Honestly, if anything, you should feel more relaxed now. There’s no one to try and throw you out the airlock, and you can walk around the ship without fearing for your life.”

“I suppose you have a point there,” Cyan said, smiling best he could.

Purple patted him on the back as he added, “As for the rules, we’re still in the first week, and I know you’re still learning. If you fuck up, I’m not going to bite your head off,” Purple said with a bark of laughter. “No need to be so tense about it.”

Cyan nodded his head, not feeling fully reassured by the man’s words. He gave a slight gasp as Purple’s hand crept about his waist pulling him close to his side. “Of course,” he added, “I might whore you out to White if you annoy me _too_ badly, so I suppose you can worry about that.”

His voice had a somewhat rough, but playful edge to it. However, underneath it Cyan could hear something else. Something that his mind cast quickly into the canyon of denial that seemed to deepen every day.

“I won’t mess them up,” he said hastily, his mind frantically trying to remember Purple’s rules.

There were so many of them, and they always got jumbled together in his mind. Rules like not interrupting Purple when he was concentrating, rules about how he was allowed to express his sorrow in regard to his other crewmates. Rules about how he was to behave when Purple wanted something from him.

He supposed that before, there had also been rules to their relationship that he’d followed. It was just when he’d annoy Purple _then_ , the worst that would happen was that the man might not speak to him for a couple days. Now, the consequences were far more… severe.

“Well, I’m sure White would enjoy it if you did,” Purple mused. “Though to be fair, he’s pretty occupied with… what is it he calls it? Playing hide and seek with Brown all over the ship. It’s a fun dynamic those two have.”

Cyan nodded his head, feeling a spiteful spark in his head. “ _Fun._ Yep. That’s what I’d call it.”

“I’m just teasing you, Cyan, you can relax,” Purple said as he pulled him in a bit closer. Cyan leaned in ever so slightly, and even though he was fairly sure he detected a lie in Purple’s voice, for a second he felt that warmth again that he’d felt back before all of this had occurred. He leaned against Purple’s shoulder, feeling safe as the two walked through the halls.

“So, we haven’t talked about that dinner date of ours.”

Cyan looked up towards Purple, raising an eyebrow “Oh, are we still doing that?” Purple gestured about the ship.

“Of course we were, once we bring the ship back to Mira and sing them our tale of woe.” Purple rubbed Cyan’s side, shaking his head.

“Of course, now that you know what I am, I’m going to have to insist on something that serves meat. Preferably something rare.”

“I mean, I thought we’d already settled on steakhouse,” Cyan said with a slight laugh that Purple echoed. They had made it through storage now and were passing electric. The lights on the Skeld flickered slightly, causing Cyan’s heart rate to speed up slightly.

He didn’t like being near Electrical. Purple had found his aversion to it quite amusing the last time he’d brought it up, though, so Cyan kept his mouth shut as they finished passing by. He flinched as he heard a clattering of metal from somewhere in front of them.

Purple’s arms instinctively tightened around him, pulling him closer as he saw a tentacle rise up in a threatening manner. It dropped as Brown rounded a corner at top speeds, charging forward as he ran from something behind him. Purple stuck out his arm, catching Brown in the throat and sending him toppling to the ground.

“White, he’s down here!” he called out as Brown gripped his throat in obvious pain.

Cyan shrunk slightly as White stepped around the corner. He was on all fours, his form no longer human-looking as toothy tentacles looped about him, slithering up the walls. His head had twisted upside-down and his massive toothed maw gapped open on his chest. He looked to them, approaching them in an unsettling fashion. His limbs jerked and twitched with unnatural movement that made Cyan’s brain panic.

**“** **Ah, Purple, did Cyan pass on my message?”** White asked as Brown forced himself back to his feet and started running again.

“He did indeed, though he also mentioned you didn’t clean the cafeteria. So apparently you’re not actually finished,” Purple snapped, staring that looming beast that was White down.

As always, Cyan was in awe of how little Purple reacted to the forms White wore about the ship. He supposed though, Purple could also look like that if he wanted. He wondered how badly he’d have to piss Purple off before he’d get to see him in his natural state. He shuddered to think how that would end for him.

**“But Purple, that cafeteria is so messy, and I’ve cleaned so much! Why can’t you do it?”** White sulked.

“Because you’re the one who nearly screwed us over at the end, therefore you’re the one who gets to do the worst jobs,” Purple snapped back.

**“Fine, I’ll deal with it,”** White said, stomping down a massive foot as something clicked inside of his gory body. **“Thanks for the help, _Cyan_.”**

Cyan shrunk, but Purple gave a growl. “Hey, don’t blame him because you’re unable to keep your shit together. He’s not going to lie to me White, you should know that.”

White gave an oddly whimsical sigh, a sound that did not suit his current appearance. **“I know, I know. You’ve really got him trained well Purple. Quite loyal.”**

Purple gave Cyan a squeeze and Cyan’s heart fluttered against his will as he heard pride in the Imposter’s voice. “Cyan knows who he belongs to — don’t you, Cyan?”

“Of course,” Cyan said, bobbing his head as he cuddled closer to Purple. In truth, part of his actions were simply so he could get further away from White, but Purple didn’t have to know that.

**“Speaking of loyalty, did Brown really slip off while we were talking?”**

Cyan looked behind them, confirming that Brown was now long gone.

“You need to keep a better eye on him,” Purple said a lecturing note to his voice. “Don’t forget he nearly managed to get a shot in on you when he took Pink’s gun from his bunk. You’re lucky Cyan managed to take it away before he did any real damage.”

Though Cyan could tell Purple was pleased with him, he felt an odd weight in his stomach when the Imposter mentioned the incident. It had been Brown’s face. He’d just looked so betrayed when Cyan had ripped the gun from his hands, handing it to Purple.

Brown was stupid if he thought Cyan was on his side, though. The only person whose side Cyan was on was Purple’s. For better or for worse. Besides, everyone knew Brown was unstable. He shouldn’t have a weapon.

_Wasn’t White the one who said he was unstable?_ his mind pried. He twitched his head slightly, muffling the thought like he did all the others.

**“You have a point,”** conceded White. **“I’d best get back to catching him.”** With that, White moved around them, charging down the hallway where Brown had no doubt run.

Cyan watched him go, doing his best to keep his breath level. “You find him scary, don’t you?” Purple asked with a laugh beside him. “

A bit,” Cyan admitted, feeling his body tremble slightly.

“You know I can also look like that right?” Purple had a large smile on his face.

“I know,” Cyan said with a blush as the two of them started to walk again. “It’s just… to be honest, White scares me a little bit.”

“He’s a bit unbalanced, I’ll give you that,” Purple said, shaking his head. “Imagine trying to come up with plans with that loose cannon. Of course, he was better before he ate Lime.” He let out a disgusted sigh.

“I mean, I knew he was a glutton, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t realize his appetite ruled his head so thoroughly.”

“Guess he’s a bit of a glutton for punishment?” Cyan offered, and Purple let out a snicker of laughter, shoving him.

“See, this is why I could never eat you, Cyan. I’d probably get stuck with your sense of humor.”

Cyan didn’t find the joke funny, but he laughed along with Purple. It was nice to laugh.

Their path took them by security, and Cyan did his best not to look towards it. It was empty now, devoid of Pink’s corpse, but for some reason Cyan sometimes felt that Pink was still there. Watching him.

_Judging him._

“When we do go back…” Purple said, his voice slightly distant. “I’ll have to change my face again. Got a preference?” Cyan looked over to him, his eyes running up the face he’d come to know. He did have a preference of course. He preferred that Purple kept his current face. The face he knew.

“I don’t care.” Cyan lied. “It will still be you no matter what.” Purple nodded his head and Cyan felt a slight wave of relief. That was a good answer, he’d remember that.

“Still, physically, I’m sure there’s faces you’d prefer,” he grinned, his teeth that were far too sharp to be human glinting under the lights. “It will be fun, having a buddy to help me pick out my costume change. Think I’ll try to keep my color when I’m reassigned, though. I’ve never had a third Imposter when I’ve been out on missions.”

A third Imposter. That was what he was now, Cyan thought. He nodded his head saying with a nervous laugh.

“I suppose it will be interesting being on the other side of all of it…” Purple tilted his head towards Cyan.

“It will be even easier now, to sabotage. You’ll be very useful to me, Cyan.” Their steps slowed as they came to the open door to MedBay. Inside the inviting white walls beckoned to them and Cyan felt his left arm give another ache.

Purple placed a hand on the small of his back, guiding him inside.

“Go sit down, would you Cyan?” Purple said, and Cyan obeyed, quickly walking across the floor to the nearest bed. He slumped into it as he saw Purple digging through a drawer of medical supplies.

After a second, he emerged with a sling in his hand. He walked over and wincing, Cyan offered out his arm. It hurt as Purple put the sling about his arm, pulling the support over his shoulders.

“There, that should keep you from moving it,” Purple said confidently as he took a step back, staring at his handiwork. Cyan flexed his fingers, nodding as he felt oddly disconnected for a second. He wasn’t sure why, but it had been happening more and more recently.

_As though some part of me is dying._

Furiously he silenced the voice. He was getting sick of it and its nagging little words. Trying to make him feel bad for what he’d done, what he was currently doing. He was happy! This was what happiness felt like.

“Cyan?”

He looked up, meeting his boyfriend’s slightly concerned eyes. _Boyfriend —_ the word still thrilled him. That had been what sealed it for him, the fact that that’s what he was to Purple. Not a toy, not a peer, not another crewmate.

His boyfriend.

Purple leaned forward, resting a hand on Cyan’s cheek. Cyan leaned into the contact, smiling at the Imposter. “You okay, Cyan?”

Cyan nodded his head, letting out a little laugh. It sounded strange to his ears, as though it was that of a strangers. It sounded genuine though, it was genuine. Just… different. As he thought this, the voices that had been nagging him for so long began to die.

“I’m great,” Cyan said, surprised at the honesty in his own voice. He felt, different. Oddly floaty. If this had happened to him before, he might have found it alarming. Now though, it was just a relief. Free of all the thoughts in his head. “I just… love you, so much.”

Purple grinned and leaned forward, Cyan eagerly pressing into his lips. They kissed as Purple ran a hand through his hair, before pulling away. “You know I love you, right Cyan?” he said, tilting his head.

Cyan quickly nodded his head, his smile growing. “Of course. Never doubted it.”

Purple smiled, he’d liked that answer. Cyan would remember that, he’d remember everything. His mind had so many, unnecessary bits to it that he could clear out just for Purple. Like guilt, like remorse.

**“Hey, you two lovebirds done in here?”**

Purple gave a curse and Cyan flinched. White, his form having returned to somewhat normal stood in the door. His right hand was buried in a trembling Brown’s hair, gripping it tightly. Brown was still struggling, but it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere.

“White would you fuck off and clean the cafeteria?” Purple said, waving a frustrated arm at his fellow Imposter. “Why are you like this!”

White gave a long, lingering sigh. **“I will, I will, but look. Brown and I, we’re going to have some… time together. I was wondering, did you two want to join us?”** White tilted his head, a grin sliding up his mangled looking face.

Purple glanced at Cyan, raising an eyebrow.

“Sure,” Cyan said, feeling more distant by the second. “I’m fine with joining you.” Purple rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze as something cold rose inside of Cyan’s chest. He stared at Brown, feeling a slight sneer creep across his face.

He’d never really liked Brown anyways.

Far, far away, somewhere off in the dark space, an escape pod shot through the air, its flight pattern jerky. It had been grazed by a laser blast, leaving it damaged as it hurtled through space. Inside, Black pressed himself against the seat, his face burning in pain from the white-hot spray of debris that had struck him when the lights inside of his craft exploded.

In pain, but very much alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, Cyan's off on a dark path and Brown's day is worse because of it.  
> Also feat. me shamelessly sequel baiting my next fic at the very end. Thanks for reading :)


	13. Fanart!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here is where I put fanart on display! I'll just keep adding as people keep sending it into me so well see how much ends up on here.

Submitted by -A Fan

Brown having a no good terrible day <3

Art By - <https://tobylemarre-blog.tumblr.com/>

Before It All Happened

This **_amazing_ **comic based on a scene in Chapter four

Art by - <https://tobylemarre-blog.tumblr.com/>

Black being full of whimsy :)

Art by - <https://tobylemarre-blog.tumblr.com/>

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to throw your sus in the comments. The next chapter will be out quite soon.


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